Fidelitas in Perpetuo
by Roschelle Templar
Summary: Some bonds seem eternal while others quickly fall apart under the harsh pressures of life. But what happens when bonds that were supposed to last forever are stretched to the limit and beyond? Are they doomed to break and fade away? Or can some bonds transcend any hardship and even the people who are connected by them?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: New story. :) As I have mentioned in my profile, this one is very loosely related to my _Vires and Constantia_ one-shot, but reading that will not be necessary to read this fic. The time-line for this story is two years after the events in the game. I'm going to spend a little time in some less-explored areas and characters of this game, so I hope my readers enjoy it. :)

Also, I want to thank the wonderful **Bebedora** for beta'ing this fic. If you haven't read her Final Fantasy VIII fic, you really should. It's awesome. :D

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who reads/follows/favorites/reviews this. It is always appreciated.

Chapter One

The first thing Laguna noticed as he walked into his office within the Presidential Palace was how grey the sky was that morning. It was a perfect match his mood.

Normally, Laguna wasn't the type to show up to work more than a few minutes early. He usually preferred to make up for any lost time at the end of his day rather than the start of it. It was his way of keeping the tranquility of the morning to himself. Raine had also been an early riser, and the two of them spent many mornings enjoying their time alone together before Ellone got up for the day. Even though Raine was no longer with him, Laguna found that the mornings were the best time for him to relax and sort through his thoughts.

Laguna frowned as he sat down behind his desk. He picked up his coffee mug, which was emblazoned with a dancing Moomba and the words "World's Greatest President", and sipped at the searing liquid inside. The mug had been a gift from Kiros on his last birthday. Laguna smiled as he remembered Kiros giving it to him. However, he quickly went back to frowning when he recalled that Kiros was the reason why he had shown up early in the first place.

At first, Laguna did not notice the changes in his old friend's routines and demeanor. For the past month, he, Kiros and Ward had been swamped with preparations for the annual budget committee meetings. The work wasn't especially difficult, with most of the heavy lifting having already been done by various council subdivisions by the time it reached them. But it was tedious and time-consuming. As a result, the three of them had spent a lot of time isolated in their respective offices reading through the proposals and filling out various forms. It wasn't until Ward stopped by his office two weeks prior to ask him where Kiros was going after work that Laguna noticed something different.

* * *

"…_."_

"_Last night?" Laguna replied. "I don't know. I thought Kiros was working late in his office."_

"…_."_

"_Huh," Laguna said, putting a hand to his chin. "Well, he didn't say anything to me about any plans. Maybe he was doing something with Mara."_

"…_."_

"_She doesn't know either? That is weird. I'll ask him the next time I see him."_

"…_."_

"_What do you mean, 'don't bother'?" Laguna said with a frown. "Maybe he didn't tell you, but Kiros doesn't keep any secrets from me…at least not about anything important. And even if he tried, I have a way around that. It has to do with that whole 'guardianship' thing he has with me. Apparently, if I invoke his position as my cusodi and ask him a direct question, he has to give me an answer. Some kind of weird, esoteric rule from the traditions of his tribe. I just don't ever use it 'cause he's already said he'd make me pay if I abuse the privilege. And you know as well as I do that he means it when he says stuff like that." _

"_..." Ward replied with a shudder._

"_Yeah exactly," Laguna said. "Trust me, I haven't forgotten either about the last time we ignored that warning. Even after all these months, I can't look at a tube of industrial adhesive without twitching."_

_Despite the misery they had suffered at the time, Laguna and Ward weren't able to resist chuckling a little at Kiros' plot against them. The man had an imaginative and yet elegant touch when it came to crafting his revenge for the antics they inflicted upon him._

_However, Ward's laughter died quickly as the tense look he had on his face when he showed up at Laguna's office returned. Laguna noticed it and patted Ward on the arm._

"_Hey, don't worry about it, ok?" he said. "You know Kiros. He's probably just in one of those moods he gets caught up in once in a great while and wants to spend some time by himself. Heck, I'm that way too sometimes. But if it'll make you feel better, I'll find out what's going on, all right? Just leave it to me."_

* * *

Laguna finished what was in his mug and set it down his desk. He looked outside to see a light drizzle starting to fall. He contemplated getting some more coffee to distract him from the gloomy weather and the thoughts weighing on his mind.

The day, after his talk with Ward, Laguna tried casually mentioning to Kiros that Ward had been looking for him.

"_Sorry, these proposals have been a real headache this year," _Kiros had told him. "_I've being going out for some walks every once in a while to clear my head, and I must have missed him."_

The explanation didn't seem out of the ordinary at all, and Laguna told Ward as much. Laguna quickly let it go and didn't think about it again until Mara, Kiros' wife, came to him last evening.

* * *

"_Laguna…I need to speak to you."_

_Laguna looked up from the file folder he had been holding to see a petite woman with fair features, long, almost black hair and light, violet colored eyes walking over to him. He tossed the folder to the edge of his desk and jumped up from his chair._

"_Hey Mara," he grinned at her. "What is it? Is Kiros being a pain again?" Mara crossed her arms over her chest and smirked at him._

"_Laguna Loire, you know perfectly well that if my husband acts out of sorts at times, it's because he has to watch over a hyperactive child while at work," she said. "A child, I might add, who just happens to be one of the most powerful people in the world."_

"_Hey, that's harsh," Laguna pouted. "Engaging in some harmless fun once in a while does not make me a child."_

"_Oh?" Mara replied, raising an eyebrow. "Even when that includes stuffing so many plush Moomba dolls into the Defense Minister's office that he couldn't even walk through the door?"_

"_Hey... how did you find out about that?" Laguna asked. "Did Ward tell you? Man, he just can't keep things to himself. And besides, that guy kept saying he'd do his part with the charity parties we have at the orphanages if he had a compelling reason to visit. I just made sure he had one. I will say though that I almost died laughing when he crawled out of the pile that fell on him and had that one covering his head. "_

_Mara laughed and Laguna grinned again. Ever since he had first met Kiros in the Galbadian army, Laguna had noticed that he would only date casually and then only once in a great while. By the time he met Raine and Kiros had found him in Winhill, Laguna began to wonder if Kiros would ever fall in love the way he had. _

_It wasn't until three years after they had starting living in Esthar that Laguna finally got his answer. Kiros had met Mara by accident when they happened to share a table at a crowded restaurant one night. Mara, a historian and writer who had studied Centra's history and who well-versed in the legends surrounding it, had impressed Kiros by actually being able to deduce his tribal heritage and by knowing a lot about the history of his people and their connection to Centra. Curiosity and a chance to talk about mutual interests led to more meetings and eventually that interest and respect grew into something much deeper and much more passionate. One year exactly from the day they met, Kiros and Mara were married. _

_Laguna eventually stopped laughing and guided Mara over toward the couch in his office so she could sit with him. Over the years, he and Mara had become good friends, and Laguna was happy for Kiros that he had her in his life. Caring and soft-spoken, intelligent and of clever wit, patient and devoted…Mara was an ideal partner for his best friend._

_Mara soon stopped laughing as well and ran her hands along the folds in her skirt. Laguna recognized as a nervous gesture._

"_Actually, I'm worried about Kiros," she said. "These days he seems…I don't know. I guess the best word to describe it is preoccupied, but it's more than that."_

_Laguna cocked his head in a questioning manner as Mara shook her own and continued. _

"_He's having trouble sleeping and whenever I go to check on him, he is standing by our windows," she said. "He'll do this for hours. He stares out at the sky and at the horizon in the distance. It's as if he's expecting something—something black and terrible—to appear. And the look on his face…Laguna, you know as well as I do that Kiros is not the type of person to just give up on anything. But I swear, the look in his eyes while he does this, it's as if he's already surrendered and is just waiting for the end to come." _

_Mara lowered her eyes toward the floor and folded her hands in her lap. Laguna couldn't help but notice that they were trembling._

"_There are other things, of course," she added. "He rarely speaks more than a few words to me anymore, and even when we do talk, he's often distant and distracted. He goes off on what he says are errands. But I never know where he goes, and he refuses to tell me anything about them."_

"_Mara," Laguna said gently, placing his hand over hers. "You don't think that he…that he would…."_

"_Be unfaithful to me?" Mara sighed. "No, never. That is not the kind of man he is, and you know it. No, I know for a fact that he still loves me because….because…."_

_Tears welled up in Mara's eyes and Laguna clasped her hands tightly while putting an arm around her shoulders._

"_This morning, when I found him at those windows yet again, I tried to talk to him," she said. "At first, he wouldn't say anything, like usual. But then suddenly he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. He…He told me that no matter what happens he would always love me and asked me to keep him in my heart. Laguna…he told me that he was sorry, and I don't even know why he is apologizing to me."_

_A pair of tears slid ran down her cheeks, and Mara dabbed at her eyes before continuing._

"_I tried to get him to tell me what was weighing so heavily on his mind and heart," she said. "But he just deflected it with a smile and a laugh and told me that he would be working late tonight. Laguna…if you know anything about what's going on, please, please tell me."_

"_Honest, Mara, I have no idea either," Laguna replied. "But hey, you said he's working late tonight, right? How about we go to his office together and find out what is….?" _

"_That's just it, Laguna," she interrupted. "I stopped by there before I came to you, and he's not there. What's more, his secretary told me that he had left hours ago. Laguna, where is he? What is he doing? Why is he…?"_

"_I don't know, Mara," Laguna said. "But I promise that I'll find out, all right? So hey, don't cry. We'll get this straightened out and then Kiros will be back to his usual difficult self. You'll see."_

* * *

After Mara finally left, Laguna asked a couple of his guards to locate Kiros for him. Almost three hours later, they returned to inform him that, not only was Kiros not in the Palace, he apparently was no longer in Esthar, having walked out of the city some time ago.

Laguna looked over at the window and watched the rain slide down the glass in streaks. He had stayed in his office until late at night to see if he could catch Kiros when he returned, but he never showed up. The first thing Laguna had done when he had left his quarters this morning was stop by Kiros' rooms down the hall. He was dismayed when Mara tearfully reported that he didn't come home last night and that she had not heard from him.

Laguna glanced back over at his mug and frowned. He had asked his guards again to find Kiros, but he had a feeling that they would give him the same report: that Kiros wasn't in Esthar and that they did not know where he had gone.

'_What's going on?' _he asked himself. '_This isn't like him at all. And why hasn't he said anything to me about all this? Usually when there's something serious going on in his life, he lets me know about it, but this time…it's like he's shutting all of us out.'_

Laguna got up from his chair and paced around the room. A part of him was worried, and wanted to send out a search party to find him so that he would know for sure that Kiros was all right. But with his country having re-joined the world only about three years ago; Laguna knew that it would be problematic to send out a troop of Esthar soldiers. There were still many places where people were hesitant, if not downright hostile at the idea of them coming into their cities and towns. Plus, Laguna was forced to admit that he wouldn't even know where to start looking or, if this was a private matter, if he even should.

"Excuse me, Mister President, sir."

Laguna looked over at the door to see his personal assistant, Brishen, standing there.

"Brishen, you know that you don't have to be so formal with me," Laguna smiled at him. "Now, what is it?"

"Um, well sir, we just got a communication from Mayor Dobe at Fisherman's Horizon," Brishen continued.

"Oh really?" Laguna said. "That's rare. Usually Dobe isn't all that keen to contact us. Anyway, how's he doing these days?"

"I imagine not very well, sir," Brishen continued as he wrung his hands. "Apparently, there was a murder there last night. A young woman was killed."

"Murder?" Laguna said, raising an eyebrow. "That _is_ serious. But…what does this have to do with us?"

"Mayor Dobe is asking for our assistance," the assistant continued. "He said that FH doesn't really have the resources to deal with this kind of situation and that it would be better if Esthar handled…certain aspects of this."

"I see," Laguna said. "I suppose there isn't a lot of crime in FH, and with Dobe being the way he is…. Tell him that I will send him a troop of my best soldiers and investigators to help him solve this."

"Um, that's not actually what he's looking for," Brishen said, fidgeting even more. "He said that they already have a suspect in custody, and that they're pretty sure that they've already solved this."

"Well then, what does he need us for?" Laguna huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Mayor Dobe felt that it would be better to contact you before any further actions were taken," Brishen said. "He um, he specifically requested your presence at FH as soon as possible."

"Why?" Laguna said. "They've got the guy who did it. Why exactly does this involve me in particular?"

Brishen looked down at his shoes and shuffled back and forth in place for several moments before finally speaking again.

"Mister President, sir…the suspect…the person who they think did this…It's Minister Seagill."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Next chapter. I hope to get some more updates out later this week, including at least one for Fractures. We'll see how it goes. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this...or at least thinking about it. ;) It's always appreciated.

Chapter Two

About twenty minutes after talking to Brishen, Laguna was on a transport heading to Fisherman's Horizon. Ward and a small troop of Esthar soldiers accompanied him. During the trip, Laguna tried to figure out how Kiros could have been implicated in a murder, but could not come up with any answers.

'_They've got to be wrong. He just couldn't have done it,' _he told himself. '_Kiros isn't like that. I mean, yeah, he's killed people before: when he was a soldier and during all these years of acting as my bodyguard…but he'd never kill someone in cold blood. There must be some mistake.'_

The transport touched down on the edge of the huge dish of mirrors surrounding Dobe's house. Laguna could see him and his wife Flo tottering out toward him. Despite Dobe's pacifist beliefs and his wariness of Esthar's intentions, Laguna had managed to develop a friendly relationship with the leader of Fisherman's Horizon. Even though he was worried about Kiros, Laguna did not want to threaten that relationship by barging in and acting too aggressively on his friend's behalf.

Partially because he knew that Kiros would chide him for acting that way as well.

"Mayor Dobe, Flo," Laguna nodded as he walked toward them with Ward alongside him. "I got your message, but I guess I still don't understand what's going on."

Dobe opened his mouth to speak, but then looked around Laguna's shoulder at the soldiers who were standing nearby.

"I don't think we should talk here," Dobe said. "Let's go inside." Laguna turned around and swiftly realized why Dobe made that request.

"Oh sure," he said. Laguna then turned to his soldiers. "Minister Zabac and I will meet with the mayor. The rest of you, please stay with the transport."

"Yes sir, Mister President," the captain of the troop said.

Laguna nodded then he and Ward followed Dobe and Flo into his residence. Once they were inside, they all sat down on the floor.

"Listen, I know that Seagill is an old friend of yours, but I'm afraid the facts speak for themselves," Dobe said. "Last night, one of the craftsmen near the edge of town came to my door and said that he had heard yelling and fighting a few yards from his house. I gathered up some of the others and we went to confront the people creating the disturbance. On the way there, we heard a scream and then the sound of running. We rushed toward the source of the screams and found Seagill standing over Delisa's body. He had those katal of his in his hands and the tip of one of them was stained with blood."

Dobe sighed and leaned back while crossing his arms over his chest.

"We told Seagill to stay where he was, and he agreed to let us confine him while we sorted this out," he continued. "The local doc examined poor Delisa's body and said that she had died of a stab wound. And that the weapon used was probably a katal, like the ones Seagill carries. We tried asking Seagill about it, but, he won't talk: not about what happened or about why he came here in the first place."

"Dobe, I know it looks bad, but I just can't believe that Kiros did it," Laguna said. "And even if he did…there has to be a reason. He _is not_ the kind of person who goes around killing innocent people."

"Then why won't he tell us his version of what happened?" Dobe asked. "And as for Delisa, there was no reason for him to kill her. I've known her almost her entire life. Her family has lived here in FH from the beginning and had come here when she was just a baby. She wasn't a threat to anyone. And what about the fact that the murder weapon was most likely a katal? Do you know anyone else who uses a weapon like that?"

"Not personally," Laguna said. "But they are common among Kiros' people. Granted, there aren't a lot of them left, but there are still some tribes that roam around Centra and others have been seen in various cities. Maybe one of them had something to do with this."

"Or maybe you're just trying to ignore the type of person Seagill really is," Flo spat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Laguna asked. Flo snorted and glowered at him.

"Maybe others don't keep track of what goes on in the world, but we are not so oblivious," she said. "Seagill's people have a long history of violence. It's how they have solved conflicts for decades now. Their entire culture is built around the battlefield and high status is given to the strongest and deadliest fighters. It's the reason why they often work as soldiers, assassins or bodyguards when they stray outside their tribes. Those that do stay often end up fighting with other tribes over petty squabbles rather than attempt any kind of diplomacy or peaceful co-existence."

Laguna clenched his hands into fists and worked to remain calm while Flo continued her tirade.

"The fact is, Seagill is not so different from the rest of them," she said. "He was a soldier and now he's your bodyguard, right? He might be a high ranking member of Esthar's government, but I imagine that he has never completely turned his back on his violent traditions. Admit it; he is still willing to kill if he felt he needed to."

"Mayor Dobe," Laguna said in a tightly controlled voice. "I suggest that you and your wife try to do a little more reading before talking about stuff you obviously don't understand!"

"How dare you…."

"No!" Laguna interrupted, unable to keep his anger out of his tone. "It's true that Kiros was a soldier, but so was I. So was Ward. That doesn't make us violent people. And yes, part of Kiros' job is to protect me, but you make it sound like he just kills anyone who gets in my way, and that's not how it is at all."

Dobe held up a hand while Flo tossed her head to the side again and looked away.

"Loire, I apologize for how that sounded and for my wife's comments," he said. "You're right. It's wrong to judge and condemn someone just because others have acted badly. I ask that you don't take this the wrong way, but the fact remains that Seagill chose a warrior's path long ago. And while his intentions may be noble, he is not the type of man who would shrink away from taking someone's life."

Laguna took a deep breath and tried to calm down while Dobe leaned forward and tugged at his tropical-themed shirt.

"Under the circumstances, I feel that it would be better if your men handled the investigation and that Seagill be tried in Esthar," Dobe added. "But make no mistake, Loire, we are not just giving up all our rights in this matter. There needs to be some kind of justice for Delisa and her family. And if what you say is true, if Seagill did not do this…then we will need to see compelling evidence implicating the person who actually committed this crime."

Laguna and Ward stood up and headed for the exit.

"Mayor Dobe, I'm sure that Kiros didn't do this," Laguna said. "And I'm going to help you find out who did. I promise."

* * *

After meeting with Dobe, Laguna went back to the transport and sent for a team of investigators to come to Fishermans Horizon immediately. Once they arrived, Laguna met with Dobe again and explained their role to him.

"Don't worry, they aren't soldiers, they're detectives," he told the mayor. "They're just going to look around and take some statements. And talking to them will be completely voluntary. No one is going to be forced into anything."

Laguna then gave the team instructions, and they went into the town to gather evidence. Laguna then contacted various members of his personal staff and asked them to postpone any appointments he had for the day. Once he was finished talking to them, Laguna and Ward asked Dobe if they could see Kiros.

"Of course," Dobe replied. "Hopefully, you'll be able to get more out of him than we have. But um, I just ask that only one of you go in. As a precaution and all."

"I understand," Laguna said, even though he really didn't. "I'll go talk to him."

Dobe led him to a small building a short distance from his residence and waved at the two men standing outside.

"Has there been any trouble?" Dobe asked as he and Laguna approached them.

"Nope," one of the men replied. "We look in on him every once in a while, but he hasn't moved an inch or said one word since we put him in there."

"All right," Dobe said. He then turned to Laguna. "Take as long as you need. We'll send your people here if they find out anything."

"Thank you," Laguna said. Dobe nodded and walked away while Laguna opened the door and walked inside, making sure to close the door behind him.

He looked over to see Kiros sitting near a window at the back of the shack. His wrists were chained together in front of him and his ankles were shackled to the legs of the chair which looked to be riveted into the floor. Instead of his usual Esthar robes, Kiros was wearing the tribal uniform he often wore after leaving the Galbadian army.

"Kiros," Laguna whispered as he slowly walked toward him. Kiros looked up from the floor for a moment to nod at Laguna, but then went back to staring at the ground.

"Laguna," he muttered.

"Kiros…what the hell is going on?" Laguna said, throwing his hands upward. "Why are you here and what were you doing last night? Dobe says that you killed someone. He wants me to take you to Esthar to be tried for murder. Now, I know he's totally wrong about this, but I can't do anything unless you tell me what happened."

Kiros let out a sigh, but did not lift his head or respond. Laguna waited for a moment more before moving closer to Kiros and crouching down in front of him.

"Kiros listen to me," he said. "If you're in some kind of trouble, please tell me so I can help you. I promise I'll do everything I can to fix things, but you have to tell me the truth."

Kiros pressed his lips together and continued to stare at the floor, his face an unreadable mask. Laguna let out a loud sigh and stood back up, placing his hands on his hips.

"Ok, you give me no choice," he said. "Kiros, I am asking you as my _cusodi _to tell me what is going on."

Kiros finally lifted his head. Laguna was stunned at the mix of sadness and hopeless resignation he saw in his best friend's eyes.

"Is that a formal request, _contiami_?" he said quietly.

Laguna felt his heart constrict upon hearing those words and the mournful voice that spoke them. He knew enough about the traditions of Kiros' people to know that that was a term of endearment as well a title. Laguna hated the fact that he sensed so much distress behind that display of affection.

"It is."

"You only get to ask one question with a request like that," Kiros replied. "So pick one, and I will answer it."

Laguna took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves so he could think. The way Kiros was acting had increased his worry tenfold, and he struggled to find the most important question he could think of.

"Ok," Laguna finally said. "Kiros, I'm asking you: did you kill that woman?"

For a long moment, Kiros said nothing, choosing instead to resume staring at the floor. Laguna fidgeted in place before resorting to pacing back and forth while waiting for an answer. Then Kiros sat up straight in his chair and made sure to look Laguna in the eye while he answered.

"Yes," he said. "I did."

Of all the possible answers Kiros could have given, that was the one that Laguna had not expected. Unable to hide his shock, Laguna's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened.

"Kiros...what are you…?"

"I'm sorry, Loire, but that sounded like a confession to me."

Laguna whirled around to see Dobe, Ward, and a couple of members of the investigative team, along with all of the soldiers Laguna had brought with him, standing in the door way.

"Dobe," Laguna stammered. "This isn't what it sounds like. I mean, yeah, he said that, but I'm sure that there's some kind of misunderstanding. I'm sure that Kiros didn't really mean that he…."

"Excuse me, Loire, but I've been talking to your police force, and it seems to me that they've built quite a case against Seagill," Dobe interrupted. "And it looks like there's more to it than we originally thought."

"What do you mean?" Kiros asked, his voice both questioning and demanding.

"Mister President," one of the detectives said, stepping forward. "We've talked to the physician who examined the victim, and he looked over her again at our request. We also gave him Minister Seagill's katal to inspect. Based on his examination of the wounds, he is certain now that a katal is the murder weapon. What's more, we had a chance to run a blood test on residue left on the blades of Minister Seagill's katal, and I'm afraid that it's definitely the victim's blood."

Laguna glanced back over at Kiros and continued to be surprised at the neutral, silent demeanor of his friend.

"Ok, so maybe he did kill her, but that doesn't mean he murdered her, right?" Laguna said. "Maybe it was an accident or something."

"I'm afraid that the evidence does not indicate that, sir," the detective continued. "We also talked to the victim's father. He runs a hotel here in FH, and he says that Minister Seagill had held a room in reserve for a couple weeks now, and that he spent time there regularly. We checked the room, and we found these papers."

The detective held up a clear, plastic bag that held several pieces of paper along with photographs of the Presidential Palace and what looked like floor plans.

"These papers outline every detail of your normal routines and include information about the upcoming visit from the Finance Minister from Dollet," the man continued.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him," Laguna said, running a hand over his face. "He's supposed to be arriving in Esthar later today. Darn, he's probably still on his way there."

"Also, there are these photos and diagrams which reveal all of the security systems and procedures we use to keep you safe, Mister President," the detective added. "And as you know, just about all of them were designed by Minister Seagill himself."

"Well of course," Laguna huffed. "That's Kiros' job."

"Yes sir," the detective said. "But there are also instructions included about how to best circumvent the Palace security in order to reach your living quarters without being detected and written scenarios of how to take out the guards in order to seize the Palace. And then there is this note that we found among these documents, a note written on the official Palace's letterhead."

The detective reached a gloved hand into the bag and pulled out a crisp sheet of paper.

"The time has come to act," the man read. "The minister's arrival will be the perfect opportunity. It is absolutely essential that Loire does not find out before the plan is in motion. He cannot be allowed to discover the truth. If he does…and if he interferes…it will cost him his life."

The detective stuffed the letter back into the bag and peeled the gloves off his hands.

"We will need to analyze the handwriting to be absolutely sure," the man continued. "But our preliminary findings are that the note was written by Minster Seagill. Mister President, I'm afraid that all the evidence points to a plot for a coup d'état…with your assassination being the centerpiece of it all if you resisted the takeover."

"Delisa spent a lot of time at this hotel visiting with her father," Dobe said. "Perhaps she happened to see some of these papers and asked Seagill the wrong questions. Or maybe he is working with others to carry out this plot and she happened to overhear one of their conversations. Either way, Seagill found out that she knew something of his plans, and so he had to silence her. It's a plausible motive."

"Wait a minute, this is crazy," Laguna said. "There's no way that Kiros would be involved in something like this."

"I am sorry, Mister President, but the evidence…."

"I don't care what you think the evidence says, it's just not possible," Laguna said, his voice rising. "Kiros and I have been friends for years. He helped me rebuild Esthar's government after Adel. He's saved my life countless times. He would never betray me."

Laguna moved to stand next to Kiros and knelt down on the floor next to the chair.

"Kiros, please," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "Tell them that it's a mistake. There has to be some other reason why they found all that stuff in your room. I know that you'd never hurt me. You're my _cusodi_. You promised to stay by my side and fight for me until the end. Kiros, please tell them."

Kiros stared at some distant spot on the floor in front of him, his jaw clenched tight. Ward moved to stand next to Laguna, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes fixed on Kiros' face. Everyone waited silently for Kiros to respond, and the quiet became increasingly uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by.

"Kiros…" Laguna said, unable to keep quiet any longer. However, before he could say another word the expression on Kiros' face hardened and he looked straight at the detectives near the door.

"It would have been so much better if you hadn't found out about this, Laguna," he said.

Laguna gasped and would have fallen over onto the floor if Ward hadn't immediately reached down to hold him upright.

"What, what are you saying?" Laguna whispered in disbelief. "Are you saying that…that you…?"

"I am sorry, Mister President," the detective said. "But under the circumstances, I'm afraid that we will have to take Minister Seagill into custody and charge him with murder and with treason."

Laguna's face instantly became a shade paler, and Ward helped him to his feet.

"Treason?" he said. "No. You can't. That's a capital offense. If you charge him with treason, he'll…he could be…."

"He doesn't have a choice, Laguna," Kiros cut in. Ward moved to stand in front of Kiros, an angry expression on his face.

"…."

"I'm sorry, Ward," Kiros replied without looking at him. "But I have my reasons. I only ask that you and Temira take care of Mara. And I want to go on the record as saying that she knew nothing about this."

Dobe moved to the side and the detectives and soldiers stepped forward, the key to Kiros' shackles in one of the soldier's hands.

"Minister Kiros Seagill, by the authority of Esthar, I am placing you under arrest," the head detective said. "The charges are murder and treason. Keep in mind that anything you say can be used during your trial. That said, is there anything else you wish to say before we take you into custody?"

Kiros briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Laguna could have sworn that he saw what looked like regret and sorrow pass over his features. That look was swiftly replaced, however, with a far more grim expression.

"No," Kiros said. "I have nothing to say."

The detective nodded and one of the soldiers walked over to unlock the shackles on Kiros' ankles while the rest of them kept their weapons drawn. After Kiros was able to stand up and walk, the soldier removed the chains from his wrists so he could pin Kiros' arms behind his back before putting them back on. Once they were done, one of the soldiers poked hard at Kiros' back with his rifle to encourage him to move forward.

"Wait, stop this," Laguna said, jumping in front of Kiros and holding his arms out straight on either side of him. "Kiros, it's not too late. I can still fix this. I…."

Laguna would have said more, but the cruel glint in Kiros' eyes stilled the words on the tip of his tongue.

"Laguna," he growled. "Stay out of this."

"Come on, get going," one of the soldiers barked, poking Kiros again with his rifle. Kiros silently walked past Laguna. The soldiers then escorted him out the door and headed toward one of the transports.

"Loire, I am truly sorry about all this," Dobe said.

However, Laguna didn't even hear him. All he could hear was the pounding of his heart and the questions racing through his brain. He suddenly felt Ward place a hand on his shoulder and all those questions congealed into one thought that reverberated endlessly in his mind.

'_Kiros…why….?'_


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Next chapter. Looking at my outline for this story, I've noticed that it is growing slightly and may be longer than planned. Oh well. :) Hopefully some of my readers are enjoying this one. Also, I hope to have another chapter of _Fractures_ up by the beginning of next week.

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this...or at the very least considering it. It is always appreciated. :)

Chapter Three

Back in Esthar, Laguna paced back and forth anxiously in his office. Ward stood nearby trying to calm him down.

After they had left Fisherman's Horizon, the authorities took Kiros directly to the security headquarters and were holding him there while they investigated. Laguna wished that he could have arranged it so that Kiros could be confined to the Palace instead of jail. But the fact that Kiros had been charged with a capital crime made it so that it would be impossible to do so without blatantly abusing his authority. The only thing he had been able to do was request that Kiros be kept by himself in an isolated cell to ensure his safety while incarcerated.

Laguna continued to pace silently while ignoring Ward and struggling to understand what had happened. At first, he tried again to convince himself that it was all a colossal mistake. But the evidence and Kiros' responses to it and to any questions put to him made it difficult to hold onto that theory. Instead his only option was to think of some reason why Kiros would kill an innocent woman and plot to have him removed from office and possibly assassinated.

'_And why didn't I see any of this coming?' _he asked himself. '_I'm the president and I didn't even realize that all this was happening around me.'_

Laguna stopped and let his head and shoulders droop down. This wasn't the first time that he had had doubts about his capabilities as president. Doubts had plagued him from the very start of his presidency and he continued to have them to this day. However, Laguna didn't see this as an entirely bad thing. Worries that he would make too many mistakes ensured that he gave all major decisions plenty of thought and would never become overconfident. Still, those lingering uncertainties also weighed heavily on his heart and would have been difficult to bear if he didn't have Kiros and Ward beside him to give him the encouragement and support he needed to work through them.

What disturbed Laguna the most though, was not his potential failures as a president, but the fact that he had failed to notice the changes in his best friend that led to this point.

His shoulders slumped down even more and he felt his eyes water up. Just then he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder, and Laguna whirled around to see Ward staring at him.

"_Laguna, it wasn't your fault," _Ward silently communicated. "_Whatever this is, it was clearly Kiros' decision."_

"But I should have known that something was wrong," Laguna insisted. "No…no, I knew something was wrong. You and Mara tried to tell me, but I just ignored it. I kept telling myself that it was no big deal and that everything would be fine. I…I…."

A tear ran down his cheek, and Laguna swiped at it. Ward patted his shoulder.

"_Laguna…."_

"Why did he do it?" Laguna asked. "Was it something I did? Is he angry at me? I know that I get on his nerves sometimes and don't listen to him as much as I should. Or maybe he thought I wasn't doing a good job. I mean, I'm always relying on him to help me make the important decisions and to keep all of this stuff straight. Maybe he got sick of having to do all that on top of his own job all the time."

Ward put his other hand on Laguna's other shoulder and shook his head.

"_No, Laguna," _he responded. "_I've known Kiros just as long as you have, and I know that he thinks of you as his brother as well as his best friend. It's why he chose you to be his contiso, remember?"_

"Then why?" Laguna said, reaching up to rub the wetness out of his eyes. "Why won't he tell me about what's going on?"

"_I don't know," _Ward replied. "_But I can't believe that he's a traitor. Not Kiros. That isn't who he is."_

"That's the same kind of thing Mara told me," Laguna said. "And you know what? I don't believe it either."

Ward moved his hands away and Laguna turned to the side while putting his hand to his chin.

"I know that the security guys will do their best," he said. "But I just don't think I can leave it up to them, you know? They're looking for a traitor, so they might not be all that motivated to prove Kiros' innocence."

"_So what do you think we should do?" _Ward asked him. "_Kiros was right in saying that you probably should stay out of this. And if you try to pardon him without any evidence, it'll look like the worst kind of favoritism."_

"Yeah, I know," Laguna sighed. "But…what if I were to call in an independent investigation team? People who are not connected with Esthar and who could approach this from a more objective viewpoint."

"_That might work," _Ward responded. "_And I take it you have some people in mind."_

"Of course," Laguna grinned. "SeeD. SeeD does investigative work as well as combat-based jobs. And I just happen to know one of the best and brightest SeeDs out there."

"_You mean Squall," _Ward said with a smirk.

"Who else?" Laguna said, his grin growing. "Yep, he's a chip off the old stone."

"_That's block," _Ward corrected. "_And thank Hyne that he isn't."_

"Whatever man," Laguna said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Who cares? I'm going to go call him right now."

Laguna sat down behind his desk, but before he could bring up his communication screen, Brishen walked into the room.

"Excuse me, Mister President," he said. "But Minister Xenostro is here from Dollet."

"Ah man, I forgot about him again," Laguna said, scratching the side of his head. "Oh, ok just give me ten minutes and then send him in, ok Brishen?"

"Yes sir," Brishen said, backing out of the office.

"Ok," Laguna said as soon as he was gone. "I'll just write Squall a quick note and hopefully by the time he gets here, I can get away from this guy long enough to tell him what's going on."

"_I just hope that he isn't like the last minister Dollet sent our way," _Ward replied with a sigh. "_I didn't really think that it was possible to die from boredom until I had to sit through one of his presentations."_

"Hey, you were lucky," Laguna quipped as he typed. "I was the one who had to go to all those dinners with him. "Trust me; it was even more painful to be around him when he tried to be 'entertaining'. Oh hey, how do you spell 'expiration'? Ah never mind, I'll just say that I'll answer his questions when he gets here."

Ward silently chortled, but Laguna paid no attention to him. He hoped that his words conveyed the urgency he felt, and that his son would be able to get away from Garden to grant his request. As he finished the note and sent it, Laguna made sure to think positively and try to push any thought of Kiros out of his mind.

He wasn't able to be entirely successful, but at this point, Laguna figured that he could settle for being coherent enough to make his visitor feel like a welcome guest instead of the annoying hindrance he actually was.

* * *

Three hours later, Squall and Rinoa were riding in the cockpit of the Ragnarok as Zell piloted it toward Esthar's Airstation.

As he stared out the window, Squall thought about the message he had received from his father. It wasn't very lucid, but Squall was able to discern that Kiros had been arrested. Laguna was completely distraught and was begging for his help to clear him. Technically there was no contract so Squall couldn't classify this trip as official SeeD business, but had decided to go anyway, figuring that Laguna needed him for moral support if nothing else. Thankfully, Cid and Edea were more than willing to let him go with the only proviso being that he continued to update them on the situation.

Squall frowned as Zell began the landing procedures at main runway of the Airstation. Even though he normally hated going into a situation without knowing more about what was at stake, he could understand why his father was so upset. In all his meetings with Kiros, the man had never struck Squall as a killer or the type who would betray his friends. Thus, it was surprising that he would be accused of murder and treason in the first place. Then he thought about the time he had been able to witness Laguna and Kiros' reunion in Winhill after they were separated during the incident in Centra within the Crystal Pillar.

'_Kiros said that he spent a year searching the world for him,' _Squall mused. '_He might have said that he was just killing time, but that seems like an extreme measure to take just to alleviate boredom.'_

Zell continued to talk to the landing crew at the Airstation as he eased the Ragnarok down while Squall continued to study the scenery outside lost in thought. Over the past couple of years, he had noted that Kiros was never very far away from his father's side and that he seemed to be involved with many of the day-to-day operations of the Presidency. It was true that Kiros was not above picking on Laguna, but Squall had also noticed that that teasing demeanor vanished whenever his father was involved with official business.

'_It's clear that Kiros is dedicated to him,' _Squall thought to himself. '_So why turn on Laguna? What changed between them?' _

'_What could make someone discard their loyalty and devotion to someone?'_

Squall glanced over at Rinoa and felt a tendril of anger mixed with regret worm its way into his heart. When Squall mentioned that he was leaving for Esthar to help Laguna, she immediately offered to go with him and he did not put up any objections. Still, the fact that they had spent the entire trip in silence was a perfect example of the tension that existed between the two of them right now. Soon, Squall started to think back to four days ago when this all started.

* * *

_Garden had accepted a contract from Deling to help some tourists who had gotten lost in the Tomb of the Unknown King. More specifically, these tourists were relatives of prominent members of the Dollet Dukedom and General Caraway had made the request directly to Squall. Rinoa had insisted on joining the mission, and the two of them, along with Quistis, went the tomb a couple hours later. _

_At first, it seemed as if it would be a routine mission. Having acquired the Brothers GF for Balamb Garden, the biggest threat was gone and most of the monsters were at levels far below the team's capabilities. _

_It didn't take long to locate the group of teenagers huddling together in a crevice in one of the side corridors. They were halfway out of the tomb when one of the girls suddenly stopped and started yelling._

"_Wait, Dasan. Dasan isn't here. Where did he go? Dasan!"_

_Squall was about to order Rinoa to guide the rest of the group out of the tomb, but she ran off before he had the chance. Inwardly seething, he told Quistis to do it instead and rushed off after her. However, Rinoa managed to disappear before he could catch up with her, and Squall found himself trying to track both her and the missing teen. _

_After a few minutes of searching, Squall could hear the distant sound of yelling and ran toward the sound coming from one of the passages that held an ancient waterworks system. There, Squall found the missing teen, Dasan, hanging from the edge near a giant water wheel. Rinoa was also there, trying desperately to pull him back up onto the stone ground. _

"_Squall!" she shouted at him. "Help me with him!" _

_Squall scowled and ran over to them, grabbing one of Dasan's arms and working with Rinoa to pull him up. Soon, the kid had most of his torso over the edge, and Rinoa moved aside so that Squall could work with Dasan to scramble up the wall. _

_Just as he was about to finish dragging the teen to safety an Armadodo appeared roaring and rocking back and forth on its heels. Rinoa immediately shot the sharp wheel of her Shooting Star weapon at it in an attempt to scare it off. Unfortunately, this Armadodo was at an unusually high level, being older than most of the ones in the tomb, and it simply bellowed in response before rolling straight toward her. Rinoa was about to cast a spell to slow its momentum, but the monster proved to be faster than she anticipated and she was thrown off her feet and into the wall behind her. _

_Squall watched all of this with gritted teeth and a racing heart. His training as a SeeD pulled at him to focus on saving Dasan before concerning himself with Rinoa, but his instincts as Rinoa's Knight screamed at him to make saving her his first priority. Thus, Squall was gripped with a paralyzing indecision as his mind desperately searched for a way out of this situation. _

"_Please," Dasan pleaded. "Don't let me go."_

_Squall clenched his jaw and continued to glance back at Rinoa, who was holding her head as the Armadodo slowly advanced toward her. He could tell by the monster's stance that it was preparing for another attack, and he worried that Rinoa was too stunned to be able to react before it did. His heart continued to thump wildly in his chest as he tried to think of some way to save her. _

_Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he looked down at Dasan._

"_Can you brace your feet against the wall?" he asked him._

"_Y-yeah, I think so," Dasan said. _

"_Good. Bend your knees and put your feet flat against the wall." _

_Dasan did as he asked, and the Armadodo swayed back and forth, kicking its feet back in preparation to attack._

"_All right," Squall said, tightening his grip on Dasan's wrists. "I'm going to count to three, and then I want you push up with your legs while I yank you up. Then I want you to roll over to the side as fast as you can, all right?"_

"_Ok," Dasan said. Squall nodded at him and crouched down even more before starting to count._

"_One…two…three!"_

_Dasan pushed upwards and Squall pulled him up over the edge with the two of them falling backward onto the floor. The teen then scrambled away to a corner of the room and Squall let loose with a Fira spell just as the Armadodo was about to charge. Startled and enraged, the monster screamed and shifted its body away from its original target to roll toward Squall._

_However, by this point Squall already had his Lionheart drawn and he leapt up and over the monster before it could reach him. He whirled around and delivered a series of slashes to the monster's back. The Armadodo roared again and tried to retaliate, but Squall managed to cast another Fira spell which killed it instantly. _

"_Wow," Dasan said. "That's so cool!"_

_Squall ignored him and dashed over to kneel in front of Rinoa._

"_Are you all right?" he asked her._

"_Yeah," she said, shaking her head. "Just a little dizzy. I'm fine." Squall stood up and scowled._

"_Good, let's get out of here before anything else happens."_

* * *

"Squall," Rinoa said softly. "We've landed."

"Fine," Squall mumbled as he stood up from his chair. Zell finished shutting off the Ragnarok, and the three of them walked out in the Airstation to meet up with the Palace Guards who were waiting there to take them to the Palace.

After they got into the transport outside the Airstation, Squall went back to thinking about what happened at the tomb. He had never felt so conflicted while in the middle of a mission before, and he hated how indecisive he had been.

Even more importantly, the incident had forced him to question where his priorities lie: with SeeD which had been his whole life up to now or with Rinoa who had become his world.

Rinoa had apologized repeatedly for her actions during that mission, and Squall knew that she could sense the uneasiness he was grappling with. However, she had surprised him by not demanding that he tell her what he was thinking; instead assuring him that she could wait until he was ready to go over all of this with her.

Squall leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath. As much as he wanted to put an end to this stalemate, he knew that he needed to focus on this investigation first and foremost. Not only was Kiros' life at stake, but Squall also strongly suspected that his father would never completely recover if his closest friend was found guilty and executed.

Rinoa's fingertips brushed the back of his hand, and he looked over to see her smiling at him. Despite the tension he felt inside, he found himself stealing a quick smile and curling his fingers around hers.

In the end, he was glad that she was there, because he had a feeling that he would need all the help he could get.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kiros stood at the back of his cell, staring out a tiny, barred window.

He hadn't expected Laguna to show up in Fisherman's Horizon when he did, but he also understood that it was partially his own doing. Last night, his eagerness to unravel the mystery he had been trying to solve for weeks had led to him being careless, and as a result, he ended up acting haphazardly.

Kiros sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He regretted having to kill that girl, but she had left him no choice. He had wanted to just wound her, but she fought with the ferocity of a Torama. As a result, he ended up killing her instead.

Perhaps the worst part of all of this for Kiros, however, was the fact that her death turned out to be meaningless because he was no closer to finding out who was behind this coup than he was three weeks ago.

Kiros put his palms against the wall and braced himself with his arms. He had heard vague rumors of a possible attempt to overthrow the government and assassinate Laguna about a month ago, and had spent a week searching for any kind of validity to these stories. It didn't take long for him to find out that there were indeed underground forces that were rallying together against Laguna, and Kiros quickly decided that the best way to stop them was to infiltrate them. He needed to find out what their plans were and who was orchestrating this whole thing.

Kiros frowned as he thought back on his activities these last few weeks. It hadn't been easy to find any of the people involved with this plot, and it was even harder to convince them that he was one of them. His highly publicized status as the president's most trusted advisor had proved to be a difficult hurdle to clear. Eventually though, he was able to convince them with some well-placed lies and phony documents that managed to fool them into thinking that they now had access to classified information. Soon, he was able to gather a list of names and was able to piece together a rough outline of their plot.

The one thing that continued to elude him though was the identity of the person in charge. At first, he managed to suppress his keenness to put an end to this plot and have everyone involved arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But over time, his frustration mounted and Kiros worried that others would catch on and that he would be arrested and charged with the rest of them before he could name everyone involved in the plot.

It was this inability to put the last pieces of this puzzle together that eventually made his feelings morph from frustration to an almost overwhelming anxiety. Thus there were many sleepless nights when Kiros spent hours asking himself which he feared more: being implicated and losing his life or possibly losing his bonds to the three people who meant more to him than anything else in the world.

He finally had an answer to this question when he saw the look of confusion and pain in Laguna's eyes as he was being arrested and taken out of FH. He desperately wanted to tell Laguna the truth about what was going on and ease his best friend's suffering, but he knew that he could not afford to do that.

'_I still don't know the identity of the one behind all of this,' _he thought. '_Nor do I know for sure that there isn't anyone who has access to the Palace who is involved. If it got out that Laguna was onto them, they might decide to strike before he could arrest them. No…I can't say anything yet. Not until I know for sure that Laguna will be safe.'_

Kiros lowered his arms and walked even closer to the window. He knew Laguna well enough to know that, even though he told him to stay out of this, his friend would not sit idly by and do nothing. In fact, at this point, he was counting on Laguna to act.

'_Knowing him, he's going to get someone outside of Esthar to do their own investigation,' _he mused. '_And the most logical person for him to call would be Squall.'_

This thought actually brought a hint of a smile to his lips. Squall was smart, resourceful and determined. Kiros was confident that if there was anyone who could finish the investigation he had started; it was the SeeD commander of Balamb Garden.

'_I'm sure that once Squall has a chance to look over all of the evidence, he will notice the same things I did. Then it will just be a matter of time before the coup is exposed. For now, I will just have to remain silent and wait.'_

Kiros' face fell as he considered what being quiet would mean. He knew that the longer he was silent about all this, the more damage he could do to his standing within the government and more importantly to his friendships with Laguna and Ward and his marriage to Mara.

'_No, I can't focus on that. I can't focus on my own wants and worries. All that matters now is saving Laguna's life.'_

'_What happens to me doesn't matter.'_

"Ah Kiros Seagill. It's been such a long time."

Kiros gasped and spun on his heel. There on the other side of the bars of his cell stood a man with the same dark complexion and black eyes and hair as him, but who was several inches shorter and somewhat stouter than him. A man who had only two long braids down his back instead of the three he possessed.

A man who he had not seen in twenty years.

A man who he had hoped to never see again.

"Jala Edan," he said, his tone venomous. "What are you doing in Esthar?"

"Ah ah, is that anyway to greet a fellow Eltarian?" Jala said with a grin while waggling a finger. "You know, there aren't that many of us left. You could at least act somewhat pleased to see your distant cousin."

"You are no kin of mine," Kiros spat, glaring at him. "And no one in their right mind would be pleased to see a poisonous snake like you. But you haven't answered my question: what are you doing here? I thought you had died on the outskirts of Centra."

"I don't die that easy, Seagill," Jala replied. "You should know that by now. Perhaps a better question would be what is someone like _you_ doing _here_? Your tribe might have been wiped out, but there were plenty of other smaller tribes who would have gladly taken in someone of your lineage. You probably would have eventually become Elder. Instead, you're here in Esthar, being a lap dog for that fool they call their president."

The smirk on Jala's face grew as he moved closer to the cell.

"Tell me, what did you think of that trap I set up for you at Fisherman's Horizon?" he asked. "Did you have even an inkling of what was going on or did I actually manage to outwit the great Kiros Seagill?"

Kiros blinked hard and stared at him agape while Jala laughed again.

"Yes, I am the one you've been looking for," he chortled. "I've known that you were on my trail for a while now. Surprised? You shouldn't be. You know very well that I'm never content with simply sitting around and watching the world pass me by. I have to get involved somehow."

"Why Jala?" Kiros said, his tone laced with rage. "Esthar doesn't mean anything to you."

"True, it doesn't," Jala chuckled. "But it does mean a lot to…other interested parties. So I guess you could say I'm acting as their intermediary to secure it for themselves. As for what I get out of it…I get my revenge against you, my dear Seagill. I haven't forgotten how you betrayed me and our people all those years ago. I think about it every day. But…I think that watching you get executed for treason should be sufficient payment for my pains."

"And what's to stop me from calling for the guards and telling them everything?" Kiros smirked at him. Jala laughed again, but this time the sound was far more menacing.

"You wouldn't dare," he said, suddenly serious. "I know you suspect that someone in the Palace is involved in my plans, and you were right. I'm really not shocked that you figured that out. You always were a smart one. But you weren't smart enough this time to uncover his identity. Now, I'm not going to give you that, Seagill, but I will say that he has orders from me to kill Loire if I give him the signal. And I _will_ have him killed if you breathe a single word of any of this to anyone."

Jala put his hand into the lining of his cloak and pulled out a small, flat disc which he pressed onto the inner wall of Kiros' cell, right next to the bars.

"This little device will keep you honest," Jala said. "Or should I say, dishonest. It has an audio and a video feed, so no trying to send out secret messages to any visitors you might have. Oh and of course, if this bug is tampered with in any way, I will order my man to kill Loire just the same. Remember Seagill, keep your mouth shut…or Esthar will lose another ruler."

Jala backed away from the cell and continued to laugh as he walked away down the corridor.

"I'll be sure to stop by to see you again, Seagill," he said. "Until then, I'll be watching you."

Jala knocked on the door at the end of the hallway and one of the guards opened it and let him out. Once he was gone, Kiros sank down into a crouching position and bowed his head.

'_Jala…I should have known that it was him. Why didn't I see it before? Why was I so blind and stupid?'_

Kiros glanced up at the bug that Jala planted on the wall. It blended in almost seamlessly into the area around it. In fact, Kiros was certain that, if he hadn't known it was there, he might have missed it.

'_Jala is a liar and a cheat, but I'm sure he'll keep his word as far as what he said about his man in the Palace. I can't give him any reason to act on his threats.'_

Kiros slumped down onto the floor and put his face in his hands. The stakes had just become much higher, and now he wasn't so confident that the truth would be uncovered before any one got hurt. Still, for now, he would do what Jala told him to do and try to focus his attention onto him instead of Laguna.

It was the best option he had left in a list of terrible ones that only seemed to shrink as time went on.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Next chapter. I'm not sure how long this one will end up being, but at this rate I'm thinking somewhere between 18-20 chapters. Hopefully, at least a few of my readers will enjoy the ride. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this...albeit silently. :) It is always appreciated.

Chapter Four

"And that's all that we have right now," Laguna said as he paced behind his desk. "So what do you think? Got any ideas?"

Squall frowned as he looked at the paperwork in front of him. He had only been able to scan most of it before Laguna and Ward told all the details of the investigation and about the information security had gathered. He hadn't had much time to sort through all the information, but his initial examination led him to only one conclusion.

"Laguna," he said. "It looks to me like Kiros is guilty."

Laguna abruptly stopped pacing and slapped a palm against his desk.

"No, no, no!" he said. "That can't be right. I know it looks bad, but there just has to be another explanation."

"He admitted to killing the woman, correct?" Squall replied. "Plus there are witnesses who saw him at the hotel and meeting with a group of men near the edge of town more than once over the last couple of weeks. There's the hotel manager's statement and signed receipts showing that Kiros had stayed at his hotel. And don't forget the documents they found in his room: blueprints and security diagrams which have been verified as authentic by Palace security. Honestly, Laguna, I don't see anything that clears him of these charges."

"Listen Squall, I've known Kiros for almost thirty years," Laguna said. "And other than the year after that whole thing with the Crystal Pillar in Centra when I was with Raine in Winhill and one brief period during our trip to get Elle back to Winhill, we haven't spent more than a day or two away from each other. So believe me, I know what I'm talking about when I say that Kiros would never betray me."

"Laguna, I know that you don't want to hear this," Squall said, shaking his head. "But the evidence…."

"About that, don't you think this is all a little too convenient?" Laguna interrupted. "I mean, you and I know that Kiros is really, _really_ smart…and yet he was dumb enough to leave all those important papers just lying around for someone to find?"

"True, that does seem odd," Squall nodded.

"And then there's that letter," Laguna added.

"What about it?" Squall asked. "The crime lab here seemed to think that it was a match for Kiros' handwriting."

"No, they said that there was a _strong chance_ that it was a match," Laguna countered. "Remember? They said that they couldn't be absolutely sure. And actually, I was thinking about was how he referred to me as 'Loire' in the letter."

"So? That is your name."

"Squall, Kiros has never called me by my last name ever," Laguna replied. "Even when I was his commander in the army, he still called me Laguna. That's just how he is with me."

"Laguna, I see what you're saying," Squall said. "And while I agree that it might not be as cut and dried as it appears on the surface, we still don't have anything concrete to go on."

"That's why I asked you to come here," Laguna said. "I was hoping that SeeD could conduct their own investigation. You know, see if there's something the other guys missed. I mean, it is possible, right?"

"You're right. It is," Squall said. "Especially if it's as you say and they're working under the pretense of finding enough evidence to convict Kiros of these charges."

Squall stood up from his chair and gathered up the files in front of him.

"Zell has already gone to FH to do some checking around," he said. "I'll see if he's found out anything of interest later today. In the meantime, I'll go over these files and see if there's anything else that seems out of place."

"Awesome, thank you Squall," Laguna said with a smile. "Seriously, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"Don't thank me yet," Squall frowned. "I'm still not entirely convinced that we can clear him."

"Is there anything else I can get you?" Laguna asked. "Anything that might help? Whatever it is, just name it."

"You said that you and Ward didn't see a whole lot of Kiros during this past month," Squall said. "Is there anyone else I could talk to? Someone who might know more about what he's been doing?"

"I'm not sure," Laguna said, putting a hand to his chin. "I suppose you could try talking to Mara. You know, Kiros' wife? I'm pretty sure you met her a couple times."

"Yes, I think I remember her," Squall nodded. "Is she here?"

"Yep," Laguna said. "Kiros' living quarters are just down the hall from mine. This whole thing really has her upset. Plus, you know how the press are. They can't get enough of this story. I suggested that she stay here at the Palace to avoid them, so she's been keeping to her rooms during all this. But I'm sure she'll talk to you. I'll just let her know that you'll be stopping by."

"Thank you," Squall nodded. "I'll see her in a little while."

Laguna was about to say more, but just then the doors to his office opened. A short, slight man wearing a dark blue suit walked in with Ward following him close behind.

"Ah, President Loire," the man said. "I just finished looking around the Palace with Minister Zabac here, and I must say that it is even more impressive than what I had heard."

"Ah thanks, Minister Xenostro," Laguna said, scratching his head. "But please, feel free to call me Laguna."

"Ah ah, I wouldn't dream of it, President Loire," Xenostro said. "After all, a sense of formality and decorum are essential to help maintain the right atmosphere for government business. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I…guess so," Laguna shrugged. "I mean, I can see your point."

"Good," Xenostro said. "Now, I must say that I am feeling a bit fatigued from my trip and all. Would it be possible for me retire to my quarters until dinner this evening?"

"Oh sure," Laguna said. "Hey Ward, tell Brishen to escort Minister Xenostro to his quarters and make sure to get him anything he needs, all right?"

"…."

"Thanks Ward," Laguna said. "And I'll make sure to drop by your place later."

Ward nodded and walked out of the office. Squall started to walk toward the exit when Laguna held out a hand to stop him.

"Geez, where are my manners?" he said. "Minister Xenostro, this is Commander Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden."

"Ah of course, I have heard much about Commander Leonhart," Xenostro said, bowing his head slightly. "It is a pleasure"

"Likewise," Squall said without truly meaning it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about the man's demeanor that unsettled him. Still, Xenostro appeared to be phony but harmless. Squall chalked up his unease to his normal distain for career politicians of his ilk.

"I am curious though, as to why SeeD is involved with our deliberations, President Loire," Xenostro added. "Perhaps you foresee some…difficulties that I had not anticipated?"

"Oh no, nothing like that," Laguna said with a wave of his hand. "As you probably know, Commander Leonhart is also my son and…."

"Ah so it's a visit with the family," Xenostro interjected. "Yes, I understand. I imagine that you are very proud to have a fine young man like him for your son."

"Yeah, the nuts are never very far from the tree," Laguna grinned.

It took a lot of effort for Squall to stop himself from rolling his eyes and he found himself increasingly desperate to leave the room.

"Excuse me," he said. "But I have to check in with Garden."

"Oh of course," Xenostro said. "I hope that we can meet again, Commander Leonhart."

"Whatever," Squall said under his breath as he left. He was about to walk out into the hallway when Ward nearly bumped into him.

"…."

"What do you mean, Ward?" Laguna asked him. "Who's bugging Brishen?"

Ward opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when raised voices in the hallway caught everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't go in there. President Loire is…."

"It's fine. I work for Minister Xenostro. Out of my way."

"But sir…."

Suddenly another man pushed his way into the room and maneuvered his way around Ward to stand next to Xenostro, who immediately held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"I'm sorry," he said. "There appears to be a misunderstanding. This man does indeed work for me. President Loire, Minister Zabac, Commander Leonhart…I'd like you to meet one of the heads of the Dollet Dukedom security forces and my personal bodyguard: Jala Edan."

Jala stepped forward and bowed slightly at Laguna. He wore a black and royal blue bodysuit that was similar in style to Kiros' native attire and a long black cloak was draped over his shoulders.

"It's an honor to finally meet you, President Loire," Jala said. "Your reputation precedes you."

"Um, thank you," Laguna said. "Nice to meet you too. I hope you don't mind me asking, but aren't you an Eltarian?"

"Why yes I am," Jala said with a wide smile. "Is this your first time meeting one? I imagine that it would be a rare occurrence to run into one of us here in Esthar."

"No, no I…I've actually known an Eltarian for years," Laguna said wistfully.

"Ah yes," Xenostro said, nodding his head. "That's right; one of your advisors, Minister Seagill, I believe, is an Eltarian too, isn't he? I heard that he got himself into some trouble. Very unfortunate. But let me assure you that you have nothing to worry about with Jala here. He's been a member of the Dukedom's security forces for about three years now, and he's been instrumental in helping us with our monster problems and in dealing with minor terrorist activities."

"Minister Xenostro is being kind," Jala said, still smiling. "And I am sorry to hear about your difficulties with your subordinate, President Loire. A pity, really. The Seagill lineage is quite well-known among my people. It is a shame that its sole heir has fallen so far from his noble ancestry. But then I suppose that a few bad seeds are inevitable. I just hope that his inexcusable behavior does not give you an unfavorable impression of our people."

Squall glanced over at Laguna and noted how his father's hands were clenched tightly even while he maintained a pleasant, neutral expression.

"The impression I've been given is of a brave, loyal and compassionate people," Laguna said in a tightly controlled voice. "I doubt that that impression will ever change."

"That is good to know," Jala said. "I hope you will forgive my presumptuousness if it appeared as if I thought otherwise."

"Mister President?" Brishen said, appearing in the doorway. "Was there anything else you needed?"

"Yeah, please escort Minister Xenostro and his guest to their quarters, ok?" Laguna said. "After that, I'm good."

"I will see you later this evening at dinner, President Loire," Xenostro said. "Minister Zabac, Commander Leonhart."

Xenostro gave a slight bow before leaving the room with Jala in tow. Once they had left with Brishen Ward and Squall moved to stand next to Laguna.

"…."

"Yeah, I totally agree," Laguna said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey Squall…."

"If it's about Jala, then yeah, I agree too," Squall cut in. "I'll be sure to investigate him along with any other leads I find."

* * *

Two hours later, Squall was walking down the corridor leading to Kiros' quarters. He had sat down and read through all the paperwork again, and while there were a couple of minor gaps and inconsistencies that he decided to look into, nothing seemed to strike him as completely out of the ordinary yet.

In the meantime, Rinoa was in the process of sending as much information as she could to Quistis, who was back at Garden while Zell continued to talk to various people at FH in order to get a better understanding of the weeks leading up to the murder.

'_Hopefully, Kiros' wife can give us some more info into that too,' _he thought. '_Because, right now, I still don't see anything that could indicate why Kiros would do the things he did.'_

Squall walked up to the door and pushed the button on the wall next to it. A few seconds later, the door opened and a composed but somber Mara was there to greet him.

"Hello Squall," she said. "Laguna mentioned that you were coming. Please come in."

"Thank you," Squall mumbled.

Mara moved off to the side and Squall followed her to the next room which had a large, plush tan couch and a couple of forest green chairs which matched the neutral, earthy tones of color throughout the room.

"Please sit down," she said, waving her hand at one of the chairs. "I'm not sure how much I can help you, but I'm willing to do anything I can to help you clear my husband's name."

"You don't think that he did it," Squall said as he settled down into a chair across from the couch which Mara sank down onto while pulling her legs up onto the cushions.

"I know for certain that he didn't," Mara said, conviction clear in her voice. "It's simply not possible."

"What can you tell me about his activities over the past month?" Squall asked her. "Was there anything that gave you any indication of what he was doing?"

"No nothing," Mara replied. "Kiros isn't always forthcoming about work and recently he has been even more reticent than usual."

Squall continued to question Mara for almost an hour, but unfortunately, not much else was learned that couldn't be gleaned from the official reports. By the end of it, Squall had a thoughtful frown on his face which did not escape Mara's notice.

"Squall, I'm sure Laguna has told you the same things I have," she said. "About how certain we are that Kiros did _not_ do this."

"Yeah, he did," Squall said with a sigh. "But you have to look at it from the official perspective. The evidence against him is substantial."

"Perhaps," Mara replied. "But they don't know Kiros the way Laguna and I do. You must understand that there is simply no way that Kiros could ever harm his _contiso_."

"That word, I've heard Laguna mention it before," Squall said. "What exactly does it mean?" Mara leaned back against the cushions and placed her hands in her lap.

"Did Laguna ever tell you about what I do for a living?" she asked.

"He mentioned that you are a historian," Squall said.

"Correct," Mara said. "My area of expertise is Centra's history along with the myths and legends surrounding it. Tell me, how much do you know about it?"

"A fair amount," Squall said. "We learned about the basics of their society and its timeline in world history as part of the general curriculum at Garden. And I have done some reading about their military structure."

"Then it is possible that I can assume that there are some things you might not be aware of," she nodded. "I also should tell you that I have also studied the Eltarian people and their history because, as it turns out, their history is closely connected with Centra's."

Mara brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and took a deep breath before continuing.

"As Centra's civilization grew in size and complexity, they migrated toward larger settlements in the middle of the plains," she said. "That area also happened to be inhabited by the Eltarians, whose numbers were never nearly as prolific as theirs. Fortunately, the Centrans made every attempt to get along with their neighbors and in turn, the Eltarians welcomed them into their lands. Over time, a strong friendship was formed between their peoples and they found ways to benefit from each other. Centra worked to advance their technology, which they freely offered to the Eltarians, while the Eltarians often acted as guides, escorts and protectors for Centra's citizens whenever they traveled about the area."

Mara paused and gazed at her wedding ring for a moment.

"For their part, the Eltarians were mainly interested in learning about ways to treat illness and injury and to improve their techniques in forging their weapons," she added. "You see, the Eltarians believe in staying connected to nature. Their culture is centered around this idea, and the desire to become physically, mentally and spiritually strong. Thus, they tended to be somewhat nomadic and never grouped themselves into cities. Instead, they focused their energy on training the members of their tribes in various forms of combat and instilling the wisdom they had amassed over the centuries into future generations. They believed that strength combined with a good heart, a sound mind and the desire to protect others, would make the gods look favorably upon them. In particular, they revered Odin and sought his approval. Laguna mentioned that you traveled to the plains of Centra once, so you might have seen the ruins of a temple there."

"I did," Squall nodded. "We managed to acquire the Odin GF for Garden. Unfortunately…he has been lost to us."

"I heard," Mara said gravely. "And I was quite sad to hear it, as was Kiros I am sure, even though he said nothing about it. You see, the Eltarians and the Centrans built that place together as a symbol of the partnership between them and due to their mutual respect for Odin. This desire to win Odin's approval eventually gave rise to the _cusodi_ tradition among the Eltarians."

Mara shifted her legs back onto the floor while Squall leaned forward in his chair.

"For the Eltarians, the _cusodi_ represented the pinnacle of their ideals," she said. "An Eltarian would choose a Centran to be his _contiso_ and would make a life-long commitment to protect him."

"So…they were bodyguards?" Squall asked.

"Yes, but it goes beyond what you might be thinking," Mara replied. "For example, in the Eltarian language, the word _cusodi_ means 'sentry and companion' for that is was they were. They protected them from physical harm to be sure, but they also acted as advisors, caretakers and assistants. The thread tying all this together was the deep and intimate friendship they would form with their chosen _contiso_ or 'protected one'."

"I think I read about how many members of royal families in Centra had a sort of personal retainer," Squall said. "Is that what they were talking about?"

"More than likely, yes," Mara said. "Although, not all _cusodis_ chose the rich and powerful as their _contisos_. There are many stories about _cusodis_ who partnered with great thinkers and inventors, gifted artists, and paladins from the Centran army who had distinguished themselves by their bravery and their compassion for others. The only requirements for this partnership are the willingness for the _cusodi_ to dedicate his life to his chosen _contiso_ and for the _contiso_ to accept this pledge."

Mara closed her eyes for a second and ran a hand through her hair. When she opened her eyes, Squall could see an intense and serious light within them.

"After studying Centra and the Eltarian history and culture for years, I have come to believe that the _cusodi_ tradition of the Eltarians helped both Centra and the Eltarian race flourish," she said. "The bonds between the _cusodis_ and their _contisos_ gave the Centrans a sense of security and the Eltarians a sense of belonging. As a result, Centra experienced great strides in its technological advances and cultural refinement, due to their greatest citizens having this protection. The Eltarians, on the other hand, experienced an era of peace and prosperity which stemmed from the generosity Centra bestowed upon them in gratitude for their service."

The intense glint in Mara's eyes faded as she spoke and in its place was a look of sadness.

"Unfortunately, the Lunar Cry nearly wiped out the Eltarians and effectively ended the _cusodi_ tradition," she said. "Most of the _cusodis_ died trying to protect their _contisos_ and many more Eltarians perished when they fought alongside Centra against the massive influx of monsters. And then, as I am sure you know, the Centrans who survived migrated to the lands currently occupied by Dollet and by Esthar. The small number of _cusodis_ who did survive either followed their _contisos _to one of these lands, or, if their _contiso_ died, they engaged in ritualistic suicide in response to the overwhelming grief they felt at the loss of their _contisos _along with many of their people."

"But for the most part, the Eltarians stayed behind in Centra," Squall said.

"Yes," Mara replied. "Sadly, the remaining tribes often suffered from a lack of leadership and guidance. The need to survive in this harsh environment led them to focus solely on fighting skills and wars between tribes over resources became all too common. Still, most of the tribes continued to have Elders who would try to keep the legends and traditions of the Eltarians alive by relating their history to their children. Then, over time, those children would keep the tradition with their own offspring. Thus, even though there is little to no record of any Eltarians becoming a _cusodi_ for decades, many of them still know of the tradition and the practices surrounding it."

"With Kiros being one of them," Squall said.

"Again, correct," Mara said. "Kiros' family were the descendants of a tribe who had many legendary _cusodis_ as their ancestors. While most of them turned away from their heritage, Kiros always stood out as having the more 'traditional' personality and demeanor, even as a child. Unfortunately, his parents rejected him, and his grandmother ended up being the one to raise him. She made sure to thoroughly educate him about Eltarian history, including the _cusodi_ traditions and their ties to Centra."

A smile appeared on Mara's lips even though her eyes still held a tinge of sadness.

"To be honest, I don't think Kiros ever intended to become a _cusodi_ when he left Centra and his people all those years ago," she said. "It was your father who inspired him to return to his heritage. A man like Laguna, who has such a great heart and who dedicates his life to helping and protecting others, would have been an ideal candidate to become a _contiso_ in the eyes of the Eltarians. In that sense, it is really no surprise that Kiros felt drawn to him and was willing to make this commitment to your father."

Mara leaned toward him, a serious expression returning to her features.

"Do you understand now, Squall?" she asked. "Your father is Kiros' _contiso_ and a _cusodi_ like him would rather die than hurt his _contiami_ in any way."

"_Contiami_?" Squall echoed.

"It is a title that a _cusodi_ will sometimes use to address his _contiso_," Mara replied. "It literally means 'beloved companion who I shield with my life'. _Cusodis_ who are extremely close to their _contisos_ will often use that in place of the more formal title. And yes, I have heard Kiros refer to Laguna that way, although, granted, my husband is not always so overt with his deep affection for your father."

"Mara, you did say that this tradition is not normally practiced among Kiros' people anymore, correct?" Squall questioned. "What makes you so certain that Kiros is following through with the same kind of commitment that you're describing?"

"Squall, you should know that there is a ceremony that an Eltarian must undergo in order to become a _cusodi_ and to make his pledge to his _contiso_," Mara replied. "First, he must be willing to hand over his blades to his _contiso_, which not only puts him at his mercy, but is also symbolic of his vow to fight at his side for as long as he is alive. But it is the second part which truly demonstrates the seriousness of his commitment."

"Which is?" Squall asked.

"The _contiso_ must use an Eltarian's own blade to draw blood from near the heart," Mara said. "Aside from being an act of trust, the blood is a symbol of the _cusodi's_ decision to dedicate his life to the person he has chosen to protect."

Squall's eyes widened slightly and Mara let out a soft chuckle.

"Now, you tell me," she said. "Do you honestly think that Kiros would submit to this if he wasn't completely committed to his pledge?"

"Actually, I can't believe that Kiros was willing to let Laguna point any kind of sharp object at him," Squall said, incredulous. Mara's smile grew and she laughed.

"True, true," she said between her laughs. "And yet, I know for a fact that Kiros has a scar on his chest from going through with the ceremony, although he won't tell me a thing about it. Not that I mind. I know that it is a very personal moment between _cusodi_ and _contiso_."

Suddenly Mara's smile fell and she fidgeted with the folds of her skirt.

"Squall, you should know that Laguna is aware of everything that I've just told you," she said. "As his _contiso_, Kiros would have shared all of this with him. It is why he knows, as I do, that Kiros could never betray him. I know that all of this might not seem pertinent to your investigation, but I beg you to consider it while you gather facts and analyze what they mean. At the very least, it can help you understand the motives behind Kiros' actions."

"I'll keep it in mind," Squall assured her as he stood up. "And thank you for talking to me."

"You're more than welcome," Mara said, rising to her feet as well. "If there is anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask me. I just…."

Mara's breath caught and she looked down at the carpet just as a tear began to slide out of her eye.

"Please," she whispered, her voice unsteady. "Please help us clear him. I know that he's innocent."

"I'll do everything I can," Squall said. "I promise."

Mara brushed the edge of her hand over her eyes. "I know that you aren't the type of person who makes promises easily," she said. "So thank you, Squall for that. I know that you will try your best."

Squall nodded and turned toward the door. Behind him, he could hear Mara's tears increase and he flinched as he walked out into the corridor. As he walked away, he made a mental note to mention how upset she appeared to be to Laguna, figuring that his father would probably be able to comfort her.

He also continued to think about what Mara had told him about Kiros' background. It had been a lot to take in, but the more he thought about it, the more it resonated with his own position as Rinoa's knight.

'_It might not be evidence, but if what she told me is anything like this whole knight/sorceress thing, I can understand why she brought it up. It wouldn't make any sense to me if someone accused me of betraying Rinoa…and I'd want whoever was investigating me to keep the bond we share in mind too.'_

Squall frowned as he walked back toward his quarters. He still wasn't confident that he could find any evidence that would prove Kiros' innocence.

But he was also more certain than ever that it existed. Now it was just a matter of finding it.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Next chapter. I hope my readers will enjoy the double update on my fics today. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this...or thinking about it. It is always appreciated. :)

Chapter Five

After returning to his quarters, Squall pulled out a laptop Laguna had given him to use and sat down at a table near the windows. He was able to access the Palace's Security website and compared what he found in their archives with the documents that were found in FH.

'_These are definitely the actual blueprints and security diagrams for the Palace. But…judging from the pattern of previous renovations, they might have been getting ready to make some changes.'_

Squall went back to the main page and found a section that posted the latest notices from the department heads. After scrolling down to the bottom, he found what he was looking for.

'_I thought so. They just started with their latest updates last month and they won't be finished for another two weeks. But, if that's the case, why weren't there any indications of these changes on the diagrams? A major part of Kiros' job is overseeing the security for the Palace, so he would have known about any changes that would have been made.'_

Squall leaned back in his chair while continuing to stare at the screen.

'_I wonder how many people have access to this information. That might be something worth checking out.'_

A light started to blink at the corner of his screen, and Squall clicked on the icon to see a message coming in from FH. He clicked on it again and a video feed popped up.

"Yo Squall," Zell said, waving at him. "Find out anything useful at the Palace?"

"A few details, but nothing conclusive," Squall replied. "What have you discovered?"

"Well it looks like none of the locals actually saw the fight between Kiros and the victim," Zell said. "It's pretty much like how Dobe said with them only seeing Kiros standing over the body."

"Did the victim happen to have any weapons on her?" Squall asked.

"They didn't find anything like that," Zell said. "Not on her or anywhere near her."

"The fight took place on the pier near the Junk Shop," Squall said. "It's possible that the weapon could have fallen into the water."

"Maybe," Zell said, scratching the back of his head. "But if that's the case, how are we gonna find it?"

"I heard from one of the technicians there that they have a series of underwater nets close to the edges of the inner parts of FH," Squall said. "They installed them in case any of the craftsmen accidently dropped their equipment."

"I get it," Zell grinned at him. "You're thinking that maybe it could have gotten caught in there. Good idea. I'll be sure to find someone who can help me search them."

"Did you try talking to any of the victim's family?" Squall asked.

"Yeah, sort of," Zell said. "Her parents weren't really in the mood to talk, but I was able to track down an old boyfriend of hers, Natan. He's a pretty cool guy. He invited me to try this new hotdog recipe he was working on. Wow, you wouldn't believe how many spices he…."

"Zell," Squall interrupted with a scowl.

"Oh yeah, right," Zell said. "Anyway, he said that she had broken up with him a while ago, but they still met up with each other every now and then. That is, until about three months ago. Then she stopped talking to him and pretty much all of the friends she grew up with. He did finally see her a week before she died, but she would barely talk to him. All he was able to get out of her was that she was thinking about moving away from FH, but she wouldn't tell him why. He did say though that she was definitely hiding something, and that, more than likely, her parents didn't know about any of this."

"It might be nothing," Squall mused. "But you should probably look into anyway, just in case."

"Gotcha," Zell nodded. "I'll probably stick around FH for now. One of the other technicians is letting me crash at his place while I'm here. Natan gave me the names of some of the victim's closest friends, and I'm going to try to track them down today."

"All right, keep me posted," Squall said.

"Will do," Zell said, saluting before ending the transmission.

Squall exhaled sharply and stretched. The latest report that he had read from the security forces indicated that there had been overlooked details like the ones he was unearthing, and he wondered just how comprehensive the investigation had been so far.

"Squall."

Squall swiveled around in his chair and watched as Rinoa walked into the room. She plopped down onto the bed across from where he was sitting.

"So I talked to Ward and his wife Termira," she said. "But they weren't able to tell me anything about what Kiros had been doing recently either. I guess Kiros can be pretty secretive at times."

"That's what his wife, Mara, said too," Squall nodded. "And I already know that Laguna doesn't have anything else either."

"Squall, do you think he did it?" Rinoa said. Squall stretched again before getting up and walking over to her.

"Most of the evidence points to him," he said. "But I have found some inconsistencies."

"That's not what I mean," Rinoa said. "What I meant was, what are your instincts, your heart, telling you?" Squall let out a sigh.

"Now you're starting to sound like Laguna," he said. "And instincts aren't going to be enough to clear him. Still…."

Squall sat down on the bed next to her and leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

"When I was listening to Laguna tell me about the case, I kept thinking back to when Sis kept sending me back into his past," he said. "Granted, Laguna spent a lot of time thinking about all kinds of useless things, but I also remember how content and secure he felt, traveling with Kiros and Ward. No matter how bad the situation got, his confidence that they would be there for him never wavered in the least. And when Kiros met up with him again in Winhill after not seeing him for so long…I could actually feel how happy Laguna was to see him and how much he hoped that they wouldn't get separated again."

Rinoa leaned against him, and Squall responded by looping an arm around her back.

"I suppose you could say that, during those trips into the past, I saw Kiros the way Laguna does," he continued. "And so when I heard about how Kiros was accused of trying to have him removed and possibly assassinated, I had a hard time believing it too. Everything I remember experiencing in Laguna's mind and that I saw between them just isn't congruent with the kind of person who would do something like this after years of friendship. Then there are all the things Mara just told me about his past and about Kiros making this complex pledge to him and…it just doesn't make any sense."

"I only met him a couple times, so I don't know him as well as you do," Rinoa said. "But I don't think he did it either. I…I think it'd be like you betraying me."

"Do you think I would?" Squall said, looking over at her.

"No, never," Rinoa said emphatically. "I just know you wouldn't. You're my knight. There's no way I could ever think that of you."

Squall sighed and held her closer to him. Even before he asked the question, he was certain of how she would answer. Still, he hadn't been able to stop himself from asking it and as he reflected on it, he understood why that was.

"Rinoa," he said. "When we were in the tomb and I was trying to pull that kid up over the edge of the water system…were you scared?"

"Scared? A little I guess," she said. "I really wasn't expecting any of the monsters to be that tough. I was pretty disoriented after it knocked me down, but I'd be lying if I said that that was the only reason why I froze up like that."

"Did you think that I wouldn't rescue you?" Squall asked, his tone somber.

"No, of course not," she said with a smile. "I knew you would find a way to save me." She wrapped his arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. Instead of returning the embrace, however, Squall frowned even more.

"Rinoa…it's not that I didn't want to save you," he said. "I really did. And you're right. As your knight I'm always thinking of you and about how to keep you safe. But…."

"But?"

"But don't you see why that's a problem?" he asked. "Especially when we go out on missions. I'm a SeeD and SeeDs are supposed to make the mission objective their first priority. And sometimes that means putting ourselves and our comrades into dangerous situations…situations that they might not be able to get out of safely…in order to fulfill our contracts with the clients."

"You mean, you have to make a choice between the mission and your teammates," Rinoa said.

"Exactly," Squall said. "And yet at the same time, I'm your knight and I can't help but feel driven to protect you."

And that doesn't always work if we are on a mission together and you have to make one of those difficult choices," Rinoa replied with a nod. "I understand, and I am sorry for putting you in that position this last time. It won't happen again, I promise."

"That's just it, there's no way you can promise that," Squall retorted. "Even if you follow the mission plan perfectly and we do everything we we're supposed to do, a situation could still come up where I would have to decide between being a SeeD and being your knight."

"I see," Rinoa said, letting him go and turning away. "Do you regret becoming my knight?"

"No, I…that's not what I'm saying," Squall said. "It's just…."

Squall let out a frustrated huff and ran his hands through his hair. His emotions were started to get out of hand and he didn't like it.

"So, what should we do about this?" Rinoa asked as she glanced back at him.

"I don't know," Squall sighed. "I really don't. But I…you know what? This isn't the time for this. We should concentrate on this investigation and on helping Laguna and Kiros."

"You're right," she said. "But you know, we can't put this off forever."

'_Who says we can't?' _Squall thought to himself.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," Rinoa said, a wan smile returning to her face. "I know we have some stuff to work on, but that doesn't mean we have to be all gloomy while we're working."

"Whatever," Squall grumbled.

Much to his chagrin that made Rinoa laugh and despite his best efforts, he wasn't able to stop himself from smiling a little at her.

* * *

Back in his cell, Kiros continued to stare out the window as the sun disappeared underneath the horizon and the stars begin to come out.

A pair of detectives came to interrogate him about four hours ago, but he had refused to answer any of his questions, invoking his right to remain silent. The pressure had been intense, but eventually they gave up and left. Afterwards, one of the guards dropped off a tray of food which Kiros picked at, but otherwise there had been no one else to see him.

'_I wonder what Mara is doing,' _he thought. '_By now, I'm sure the press has gotten a hold of this, and I'm sure that playing up the potential scandal as much as possible. I just hope that Ward, Temira and Laguna are helping her get through this.'_

'_Laguna….'_

Kiros shook his head and sat down on the cot in the corner of his cell. He continued to think about the threats that Jala had made, and he hoped that Ward would stay close to him. Knowing Laguna he had already notified Squall. He hoped that the young SeeD Commander would be able to help.

'_They should be able to keep Laguna safe from Jala. But what about the other person he has in the Palace? If Laguna is focused on clearing me, they might not be as vigilant as they'll need to be. If only I could figure out who is working with Jala….'_

Kiros scowled and curled his hands into fists. He suspected that one of the new interns that the council had sent to the Palace for training was the culprit, but there was no way he could investigate them while he was locked up in jail. Plus, with Jala currently watching his every move, he couldn't make a suggestion to Squall to check into them. Instead, he simply had to have faith that Squall would figure this out on his own and act on it before Jala had a chance to try anything.

Kiros let out a sigh and laid down on the cot, resting one of his arms over his head. The mattress on the cot was thin and lumpy. It reminded him of life in the barracks while he was in the Galbadian army. Soon, his mind drifted back to one incident in particular.

* * *

_It had been two days after an intense mission in the Roshfall forests near Timber. His troop and a couple others had been assigned to ambush a guerrilla group that had been hiding out there for weeks after a series of assaults in Timber itself. The commanders of each squad were given explicit instructions to make capturing one of leaders of the group their first priority. That included Laguna, their squad leader, Laguna, who was on track to make Captain. _

_Unfortunately, the mission turned out to be doomed from the start. After spending weeks in the forests, the guerrillas had created a number of elaborate plans to deal with intruders. Traps, ruses and decoys were in place to take them out, or at the very least, slow them down. They had been easy prey. _

_Kiros, who was nineteen at the time, had gotten separated from Laguna and Ward. He had managed to dodge most of the traps with ease. Suddenly, another soldier had blundered into his path, frantically waving his sword in the air. In trying to dodge the onslaught, Kiros had managed to become ensnared, his leg caught in a camouflaged barbed net. The other soldier disappeared into the trees, and Kiros worked desperately to free himself. By the time he was able to, however, a pair of guerrillas had found him._

"_Well just look at what we have here," one of them sneered. _

"_What the hell?" the other one said. "What are you, a foreigner or something? I've never seen anyone who looked like that."_

"_I have," the first one said. "He's an Eltarian. My cousin knew a guy who used to have one in his gang. They're supposed to be these elite fighters. Real tough guys."_

"_Tough guys, huh," the other one said. "He doesn't look so tough to me. Especially with him groveling on the ground like that."_

_The man grinned and suddenly stomped his boot down onto the wound that opened up on Kiros' leg from the trap. The pain was intense, and Kiros wasn't able to stop himself from crying out and grabbing at it._

"_Looks like Galbadia's getting desperate about who they let into the army these days," the first guerilla said as he crouched down next to Kiros. The second one laughed and pointed his rifle at Kiros' head while the man on the ground grabbed Kiros' braids and yanked on them, forcing Kiros to face him._

"_You know, ever since my cousin told me about the stuff that Eltarian would do to his opponents, I've always wanted a chance to see if they could take as much pain as they seem to like to dish out," he said, his lips curling into a feral grin. "Looks like I'll finally get my chance."_

_Kiros said nothing as he glared at the man in front of his face. But despite his best efforts to remain impassive, he hadn't been able to stop an involuntary shudder from passing through him when the man pulled out a knife and pressed it against his cheek._

"_I don't care how long it takes or what I have to do to you," the man snickered at him. "I will make you beg me to kill you. I can promise you that."_

_It was then that Kiros felt something he hadn't felt since he was a child._

_Fear._

_It rose up inside him, making his heart race and his breaths become short and strangled. He figured that the guerillas must have sensed his distress because they started to laugh and the man with the knife began to trace it along his body._

"_Now…where should I start?" he said. Kiros closed his eyes and hoped that he would pass out before the pain became more than he could bear._

_Suddenly, there was a loud boom and the sound of yelling filled his ears. Just as he was opening his eyes, he felt the man let go of his braids and shove him to the ground._

"_Dammit!" the first man swore. "Soldiers. They must have gotten though the front line. We better…."_

_The man was cut off when another explosion erupted right in front of him, throwing him and his partner off their feet and slamming them into some nearby trees. Kiros had been spared from most of the force of the blast, but his head had still been knocked against the ground hard and he felt himself losing consciousness. The last thing he saw before passing out was a pair of familiar green eyes staring down at him._

_When he woke up, he found himself in the infirmary at Galbadia's base in Timber with several stitches in his brow and many more binding the wound in his leg. Ward had been sitting at his bedside and had told him about how he and Laguna had gone back into the forest to find him after they realized that he was missing. Later, Kiros found out from some of the other soldiers that Laguna had actually defied orders and had thrown away a chance to capture the head of the guerilla faction in order to save his life. _

_Unfortunately, this did not escape the notice of the general in charge of their battalion and Kiros was certain that they would make him pay dearly for his insubordination._

_During those two days after it was over, Kiros had not said a word to anyone about the incident. His injuries had been minor, but he hadn't been able to stop thinking about the fear he had felt in that moment. He also wasn't able to let go of the guilt he felt over putting Laguna into such an awful position with his superiors. As a result, he ended up brooding by himself most of the time while he recovered._

_Two nights later, he was sitting alone by a stream a few yards away from the barracks when Laguna happened to find him there._

"_Hey Kiros, I'm sorry that I haven't visited you that much since we got back," he said. "Are you ok?"_

"_I'm fine," Kiros said curtly as he continued to stare at the water. "My injures were not serious at all. You don't need to worry about me."_

"_That's good," Laguna said as he sat down next to him. "You were really out of it when Ward and I found you in the woods. You know, he's still complaining about having to carry you back to the transport. He can be such a weenie at times."_

_Kiros frowned and remained silent. His feelings were still on edge right now and he really did not want Laguna to be there in case he started to break down. He was about to ask him to leave when he suddenly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder._

"_Are you sure you're all right, Kiros?" Laguna asked him, his tone soft and concerned._

"_Shouldn't you be more worried about what the general is going to do to you?" Kiros replied. "I know for a fact that he isn't the forgiving type and you did defy orders."_

"_Oh that," Laguna said. "Actually, it didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would. See, right before me and Ward went to look for you, I found a bunch of papers that looked like something important. So, I stuffed them into the pocket of my uniform. Turns out that they were lists of contacts from sympathizers in Timber. I guess the general was pretty happy to get them because he acted like I wouldn't get into too much trouble. He just said that I could expect to keep doing what I was doing now for a long, long time." Kiros sighed and shook his head._

"_You do realize that he meant that you wouldn't be promoted any time soon, right?" he said. "No matter what you do from here, you'll probably never reach any kind of significant rank."_

"_Ah, that's no big deal," Laguna said with a lopsided grin. "I'm just doing this until something else comes along anyway. It's not like I ever planned to make a career out of it. I'm just glad we were able to get you out of there. Seriously, Kiros you really freaked me out when you passed out like that. I thought we were going to lose you."_

_Kiros swallowed hard and felt his eyes burn. The things was, he was certain that Laguna was being completely serious, and that went against everything that Kiros had been told. As a child, his parents had made sure he was concerned with his own life first and foremost, Despite the legends his grandmother had told him about the brave cusodis who had protected their charges with their lives, he witnessed little in the way of altruism among members of his own family and tribe. Thus, it was unfathomable to him that someone who wasn't related by blood could care so much about him._

_Still, he couldn't bear the thought of Laguna seeing him in such a vulnerable state, and he was seized with an urgent need to get away from him before he lost control of his emotions._

"_Laguna," he said, his voice unnaturally thick. "I…I think you should…."_

_Before he could finish that sentence, however, Laguna suddenly put his arms around him and pulled him into a loose, clumsy embrace._

"_Laguna? What…what are you…?"_

"_Hey, it's ok Kiros," Laguna assured him. "I'm just giving you a hug. You looked like you needed one."_

_Kiros sat there, frozen with shock and indecision. He found that he didn't really mind Laguna hugging him like this, but he totally did not expect it either. He tried to relax, but was frustrated when his emotions moved even closer to the surface._

"_Kiros, you do know that it's ok to be scared once in a while, right?" Laguna asked him as he continued to hold him. "You don't have to be invincible all the time. I mean, geez, you're still a kid for Hyne's sake. And besides, it's not like I never get scared out there. Heck, the only reason I'm able to handle it at all is because I know you guys will be right there with me. So stop tripping yourself over this."_

"_I think the phrase is 'kicking yourself''," Kiros replied with a weak laugh._

"_So what? You know what I meant," Laguna said. "I'm just saying that you don't have to feel like you have to deal with this alone."_

_In that moment, Kiros wasn't sure if it was the words or the caring tone that they were said in that touched a sensitive place inside his heart. All he knew for certain was that the tears that had been swimming in his eyes finally were able to force their way out, and he bowed his head in shame as he started to silently weep. Laguna responded by embracing him even tighter._

"_I'm sorry, Kiros," he said quietly._

_Kiros didn't say anything and simply returned the embrace. They stayed like that for a while, neither of them moving or saying a word._

* * *

Back in the present, Kiros felt his heart ache. Even though the events leading up to that moment had been horrible and traumatic, Kiros was certain that that was the instant that his friendship with Laguna had shifted from something pleasant and yet still somewhat uncertain to something much deeper and stronger. When he joined the army, he hadn't expected to make any friends, and yet he ended up with two of the best friends he could have ever asked for. It had made for a life that was far more meaningful than he had ever thought it would be.

A sound near the bars broke his reverie and he jumped up from the cot to see several figures wearing masks and security uniforms walk into his cell and shut the door behind them.

"What's going on?" he said, narrowing his eyes at them. Two of the figures pulled out their rifles and aimed them at him. Then a third one stepped forward.

"Shut up!" he barked at Kiros. "Traitorous bastards like you have no right to demand anything."

"Yeah," another one chimed in. "Turning on someone who was supposedly your close friend. It's people like you that made life hell when Adel was in power."

"How dare you try to threaten President Loire? If it weren't for him, Esthar would still be her personal playground."

"We're here to teach you a lesson. A lesson about how it's not a good idea to mess with the government of Esthar."

Kiros backed away from them while crouching into a defense stance. He thought about trying to escape before they attacked, but there were too many of them to maneuver around. Then he thought about trying to fight his way through, but not only were the numbers against him, the two with their rifles out made it clear that he would be shot if he tried to resist. With a long sigh of resignation, Kiros drew himself up into a defiant stance and closed his eyes.

Whatever happened next, he simply hoped that it would be over quickly.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Next chapter. I hope to have another one up later this week. We'll see. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this. It is always appreciated. :D

Chapter Six

"And that's where I am at so far," Zell said, his image in the center of Squall's computer screen. "They've looked pretty much everywhere for a weapon of some kind, but haven't found it yet."

"Did they find anything down there at all?" Squall asked. "Maybe what we're looking for isn't a weapon in the normal sense."

"Oh you mean, like maybe she used a tool or something as a weapon, right?" Zell said. "Yeah, they did find some stuff, but a lot of it looks really old. I doubt they're what we're looking for. But I'll go over all it again with them later this afternoon."

"What about the list of the victim's friends?" Squall said. "Has that turned up anything?"

"Not much," Zell said, scratching his head. "Most of them agreed with what Natan said: that she was thinking about leaving FH. However…."

"Yes?"

"The one Natan said was her closest friend, she said that Delisa recently confessed to her that she was seeing someone," Zell said. "Delisa didn't say what his name was or talk much about him. Apparently, the only things Delisa mentioned were that he was in the middle of a very important job and that he was from Esthar."

"That's not much to go on," Squall frowned.

"Yeah, I know," Zell said glumly. "I've been trying to think of some new leads, but I'm not sure how much more I can find out here."

"Keep searching for now," Squall said. "I'm going to drop by there tomorrow and see if maybe there's something we're both missing."

"You got it," Zell said, saluting.

Squall saluted back and watched the screen go blank as the transmission ended. He stood up from his chair and walked over to the windows to watch the sunrise.

Last night, he had ended up spending hours looking through the rest of the reports that the security team investigating the case had filed, but found nothing else that stood out. At one point, Laguna invited him to dinner, but Squall declined, claiming that he needed to keep working while leads were fresh. Eventually, Rinoa came back to their room to give her report and just as she was finishing up, Palace staff arrived to serve them dinner in their quarters.

Squall let out a sigh and leaned against the window frame. So far, he and Rinoa had been able to put their own problems aside and focus on the case. But Squall did start to wonder if maybe it would be better to go ahead and try to find at least a temporary solution. The tension was still very palpable between them and needed to be addressed.

There was only one flaw with this plan: Squall still did not know how to balance his profession as a SeeD with his life as a sorceress' knight.

'_Rinoa is getting better at fighting and defending herself all the time, but that's partially because she's learning how to control her powers more than any gains in tactical skill,' _he mused. '_Problem is, she will have to either stay at Garden all the time until she masters these skills or learn as she goes while in the field. I can't protect and support her if I'm not around her a good portion of the time…but I don't know if I can protect her in the field either if I want to be committed to doing my job as a SeeD.'_

Squall curled one hand into a fist and frowned. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed as if the situation was hopeless. It suddenly occurred to him that he might have to make a choice between his life and work at Garden and his life with Rinoa…and that was a decision he dreaded making.

A soft ping from his computer interrupted Squall's thoughts and he went over to check out the message waiting for him.

'_Hope to see you for breakfast. Need a break from this reeeeaaaallly boring politico from Dollet- Dad.'_

The corners of Squall's mouth turned up slightly. After finding out about the truth of their relationship with each other a couple years ago from Ellone, it had been a huge adjustment for both of them to learn to interact as a family. Over time, however, his relationship with Laguna had become far less tense and far more familial, and Squall learned to cherish having his father in his life.

Squall also noticed that Laguna seemed to relish every gesture and reminder of his newfound parenthood, including having Squall address him as 'Dad'. Granted, Squall avoided the title when they were among strangers or when involved with official business. But recently, he started to use when in more personal settings and couldn't help but notice the joy that lit up Laguna's eyes whenever he did.

Thoughts of his father turned Squall's mind back toward the case, and he immediately frowned. He knew from spending time with Laguna both now and in his father's past that Laguna was very close to Kiros and would likely be heartbroken if he could not find some way to prove his innocence. Despite his own confidence that Kiros was indeed innocent, however, Zell's report and his own inability to find anything else of value last night made Squall worry that he would not be able to find the necessary proof to confirm his beliefs.

Squall sat down at the computer and sent back a message of his own.

'_Too busy. Will have to skip breakfast. But will be available for lunch later so we can go over latest reports on case- SL'_

Then Squall wrote a short note for Rinoa explaining that he would be back in a few hours. He decided to go to the station where Kiros was being held. Laguna had given him the authorization to talk with both Kiros and the investigating officers.

'_Hopefully I can get something that isn't outlined in the official reports,' _he thought. '_Even if it's just hunches and assumptions, it'd be a starting point.'_

* * *

"I still don't get why President Loire felt he had to hire SeeD to consult on this investigation," the security force captain said as he guided Squall back to the holding cells. "So far, this case has been pretty cut and dried."

Squall nodded and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had only been at the station for ten minutes and yet this was the third time he had heard that statement. On one hand, he wasn't really that surprised that the detectives on the case were chafing at the idea of someone "invading" their turf. But that did not mean that Squall wasn't growing weary with having to find ways to continue to respond to that comment diplomatically.

"I'm sure President Loire doesn't doubt the diligence of your detectives," Squall said in a deliberately bland tone. "However, since this case involves both capital charges and a high ranking member of Esthar's government, he felt that it would be prudent to use every resource available to him to ensure a thorough investigation. Besides, SeeD often has means that aren't always available to local law enforcement. Our role is to assist and supplement, not compete."

"Yeah, sure," the captain said with a huff. "I get why he did it. It's a black eye to the government for sure, but also to President Loire, seeing as how this guy was supposed to be his close friend and all. Mind you, I don't think that President Loire is _just_ trying to cover his own ass…but I think I understand what's _really_ at stake here."

Squall pressed his lips together. By this point, he was certain that this guy had no idea about the type of man Laguna was, but decided that there was no use in pressing the point. He followed the captain down another corridor and watched as he pulled out a key card to open the door.

"Not sure what you hope to accomplish here," the man said as the door swung away from them. "We've tried interrogating him twice, and he hasn't said a word either time. If you ask me, he's not talking because he knows that if he did, he'd just incriminate himself even more."

"I understand," Squall replied. "Still, I might as well try seeing as I'm here anyway."

"Suit yourself," the captain shrugged. "I'll have one of the guards waiting on the other side of the door. Just tap on the glass when you're done."

Squall nodded and watched the captain leave, the door shutting behind him. Then he walked down to the end of the short hallway to see Kiros lying on a cot which was facing the wall of his cell.

"Kiros," Squall said as he approached the bars. "Kiros? Are you…?"

A groan from the bed interrupted him, and Squall watched Kiros slowly roll over onto his other side and stare at him with bleary eyes.

"Squall?" he mumbled. Squall nodded. "Of course. I figured that you would come."

"Laguna hired me to look into this," Squall said. Kiros gradually moved up into a sitting position and Squall noted how every movement caused him to wince.

"I'm surprised that the government of Esthar was willing to fund a supplemental investigation for an accused traitor," Kiros said.

"They didn't," Squall replied. "Laguna is paying for any expenses we might incur out of his own pocket." Kiros shook his head, his hand drifting down to hold his ribs.

"He shouldn't have bothered," he said, looking down at the floor. Kiros rubbed his side for a moment before finally getting to his feet.

"Are you all right?" Squall asked.

"I'm fine," Kiros said, lifting his head. "Just sore from spending a night on this cot. They aren't overly concerned with comfort around here."

"That makes sense," Squall said. "Kiros, I need to ask you about what you were doing at FH and why you killed Delisa Starisan." Kiros clenched his jaw, his posture becoming stiff.

"I have nothing to say," he responded.

"You won't tell me anything about why you had security documents in your hotel room or who you were meeting with?"

Kiros swiveled away from him, silently walked over to the window, and turned halfway toward it. Squall frowned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What about this plot to overthrow Laguna and maybe even assassinate him?" he said. "You have nothing to say about that either?"

Kiros did not respond. Squall could not detect even a trace of emotion in Kiros' demeanor or the expression on his face. They stood that way quietly for almost a minute before Squall decided to try another tactic.

"_Cusodi_ and _contiso_," he said. "Do those words mean anything to you?"

Kiros ground his jaw even more, but showed no other reaction. "You've been talking to Mara," he said, an undercurrent of anger in his voice.

"I have," Squall replied, nonchalant. "We had a discussion about Centran and Eltarian history."

"I've already stated for the record that Mara knew nothing about this, and that is the absolute truth," Kiros said. "There was no reason for you to question her."

"Protecting my father is sufficient enough reason for me," Squall retorted. "Especially when the threat comes from the same person who supposedly swore to protect him for the rest of his life."

"Squall," Kiros said. "I respect you as a man and as a fighter. But I also think that you shouldn't talk about things that you don't fully comprehend." Squall's arms fell to his sides and moved a step closer to the cell.

"Maybe I don't know all of the intricacies of the Eltarian traditions," he said. "But I do know what it means to make a vow like that to someone, to promise to stand by a person even when the world stands against her, to stay by her side until the end."

"The oath of the sorceress' knight," Kiros nodded. "My apologies. You are right. Even though the role of the knight is not the same as that of the _cusodi_, the overall relationship is not all that different."

"That also means that I know that this is not something you just walk away from on the spur of the moment," Squall said. "Honestly, I can't think of any reason why I would break my vow. Are you saying that you found a reason to break yours?"

At first Kiros said nothing, but his lips parted as if he was about to speak. Squall noted that Kiros' eyes darted along the wall in front of him for a second before going back to meet his gaze. After a long moment, however, he suddenly closed his mouth and turned away from Squall.

"I don't doubt the seriousness of your commitment, Squall," he said quietly. "But I can't help but wonder if part of the strength of your convictions comes from youth and from the benefit of not having to deal with the element of time. Tell me, have you had a moment yet when you were forced to choose between the vow you swore to and the ethically correct decision? Have you had to choose between your sorceress and the greater good?"

Squall swallowed hard. Even though there was no way Kiros could have known about the situation between him and Rinoa, Kiros' words managed to strike at the heart of his current anxieties and confusion.

"And do you think that your feelings and your vow will be the same five years from now?" Kiros continued. "How about ten? Or twenty? Do you think you or Rinoa will be the same after all that time? And if not, do you still believe that you will be able to hold fast to your pledge to her?"

"I don't know," Squall said somberly. "Are you saying that you've had to face those kinds of decisions and that this is the result?"

"I'm saying that until you can answer those questions, you will not be able to truly understand my choices," Kiros replied.

Kiros' shoulders sagged and he moved closer to the window so he could lean against the wall.

"You might as well leave," he said. "I have nothing more to say to you."

Squall stared at him for a couple moments, trying to think of some other way to question him, but soon realized that Kiros was determined to remain silent from this point on. He walked over to the door and tapped on the glass to let the guard know that he was ready to leave. As he waited for the door to open, he cast one last glance at Kiros, who continued to stare out the window.

'_What is he thinking?' _he wondered. '_He mentioned having to make choices for some greater good. Is that was this is about? Did he…did he decide to betray Laguna after all?'_

The door opened and Squall walked out with far more questions than when he first walked in.

* * *

Several minutes later, he went to the captain's office so he could talk to him and one of the lead detectives on the case. After a short interval of tense conversation, Squall was pretty sure that he got all that he was going to get out of them which wasn't much.

"If you ask me, all that's left on this case is gathering up the evidence we need to track down the rest of Seagill's cohorts," the detective said.

"Are you certain that Kiros is the one controlling things?" Squall said. "Perhaps there is someone else pulling the strings."

"I doubt it," the detective snorted. "Listen, maybe you don't know Seagill that well, but we do. He's been the head of Palace security for a long time, and he's got a reputation for being both domineering and cunning. There's no way he'd submit to someone else running this kind of show. No, he's the guy all right. We're just lucky that we managed to catch him before he went through with his plan."

"The main problem we are facing right now is getting him to talk so we can round up his accomplices," the captain said. "So far, he's managed to keep his mouth shut."

"Yeah, but don't worry about that," the detective said. "We'll find a way to break him down and get him to talk. It's just a matter of time."

"I am curious though, as to why you are so determined to clear him," the captain said. "It's no secret that you're President Loire's son, you know. I'd think that you would want to put the man who was planning to hurt your father away for good."

"My connection to President Loire has no bearing on this investigation," Squall said sternly, hoping to put an end to that line of discussion. "And you should know that President Loire is still not convinced that Kiros is guilty."

"He might change his mind if he saw the video we just got from FH," the detective said.

"What video?" Squall asked. The captain opened a metal box sitting on his desk and pulled out a small disk.

"The manager of the hotel where Seagill was staying in FH sent us this earlier today," the captain said. "It's surveillance video of a meeting between Seagill and one of his accomplices. Unfortunately, we weren't able to identify the person he is talking to, but I think the video speaks for itself."

The detective took the disc from the captain's hand and placed it into a computer sitting on a stand next to them. The three of them then moved to stand in front of it so they could watch it.

Soon, an image of Kiros wearing a long cloak and walking up to another person wearing the same thing appeared on the screen. Both the captain and the detective had smug expressions on their faces, and after watching the video for a couple minutes, Squall understood why.

'_This…this is….'_

Squall made sure to hide his shock from the two men, but that did not quell the feelings of confusion and dismay welling up inside him in the least. As he watched the video finish up, one question was at the forefront of his mind.

And that was how Laguna was going to react when he found out about this.

* * *

"And then, he made us watch a slide show," Laguna said as he shoved another forkful of food into his mouth. "A slide show for Hyne's sake. I mean geez, who in their right mind would make someone watch a slide show about the importance of fair trade practices right after going over a report about the very same thing? I swear, the whole thing was so tedious and slow, I thought at one point that we were actually going backwards in time."

Squall smirked and continued to pick at his food. He had returned to the Palace about three hours ago and had spent most of that time going over reports or conferring with Cid and Edea about the situation. Eventually, Laguna dropped by his room, begging him to have lunch with him so he'd have an excuse to avoid Xenostro for a little while. Squall agreed, deciding that it would be good to take a break. They ended up sharing a meal at a small table in a corner of Laguna's office while his father talked about the day he had spent in meetings with the Finance Minister from Dollet.

Now that they were reaching the end of their lunch, however, Squall knew that he wouldn't be able to avoid talking about Kiros and the case. It was a conversation he anticipated with a growing sense of dread.

"Ah, I might as well drop it for now," Laguna said. "I'm going to have to put up with this for another three days and talking about it is just going to make it seem even worse. Besides, I want to know how things are going on the investigation. Have any of you been able to find out anything?"

"Not a lot," Squall sighed, sitting his fork down. "Zell is still checking on things at FH. We think that maybe the victim might have been involved beyond simply being a witness to something incriminating. And Rinoa is talking to some of the staff here at the Palace, trying to see if anyone noticed anything different about Kiros or saw him talking to anyone out of the ordinary."

"I see," Laguna said, putting his hand to his chin. "By any chance, did you get a chance to talk to Kiros?"

"I did, but he didn't say much," Squall replied. "Nothing related to the case at any rate."

"I don't get it," Laguna said with a frustrated huff. "Why won't he say anything? I know that he's not a traitor, and I'm sure that he didn't kill that girl for no reason. So why won't he just tell us what happened?"

Squall looked down at his plate. He really did not want to divulge this next piece of information, but he also knew that it wouldn't be right to keep it from Laguna either.

"I talked to the officers investigating this case too," he said, hesitant. "I wasn't able to get much, but…."

"But what?"

"They were able to get their hands on some new evidence from FH today," Squall continued.

"New evidence, huh?" Laguna replied. "Well why didn't you mention that before? What was it?"

"Dad…I don't know," Squall said. "You might not want to see…."

"Why? What is it?" Laguna asked. "Look Squall, if it's about Kiros, I need to know, all right? Please, just tell me what it is." Squall sighed again and pulled a disc out of his pocket.

"This is a copy of a video that they received from a surveillance camera in FH," he said.

Squall got up and inserted the disc into a wall mounted computer that had a wide screen monitor. Laguna got up from his chair and moved to stand next to his son. Then the two of them watched as Kiros appeared on the screen and greeted another person whose appearance was concealed from view.

"_Were you able to get copies of the rest of the security diagrams?"_ a hooded figure asked. Kiros nodded.

"_I have them in my room,"_ he said. _"Now we'll be able to put the finishing touches on our plan to infiltrate the Palace. But remember, I should be the one to go first. Not only will the guards not suspect me, but I can disengage the alarm systems."_

"_Good,"_ the figure said. _"That will make it easy for us to isolate each of the guards and take them out without anyone noticing. Then we can set our sights on Loire."_

"_I'll take care of the president,"_ Kiros said. _"He may be a fool, but he'll notice a stranger in the Palace right away and that could be trouble. Whereas he trusts me so it will be easy for me to subdue him. And even if he were to figure out what was going on, I can still get to him, even if he tries to go into one of the safe rooms, because I have complete access to the entire Palace."_

"_Perfect,"_ the other man said triumphantly. "_You know, I almost hope that Loire tries to resist our demands. It'd be fun to make him squirm and beg. And you being an Eltarian, I'm sure you know all kinds of creative ways to get him to be more 'cooperative'."_

"_If need be, yes,"_ Kiros said. _"However, I doubt that it will come to that. Once he understands the situation he's in, I'm sure even he will be able to see reason. But if not…then I will have to teach him a lesson that he's had coming to him for a long time."_

The video ended a few seconds later and the room was silent for almost a minute. Squall looked over at Laguna, who was still staring at the monitor, confusion and more than a little hurt evident on his features.

"Dad…."

"Squall, I know that looked bad," Laguna said quietly. "But I'm sure that Kiros didn't mean those things he said."

"I'll concede that I don't know Kiros as well as you do," Squall replied. "But it didn't look like to me that he was lying or that he was forced to say any of that."

"But that doesn't mean that he wasn't," Laguna insisted. "I'm sure there's a reason why he had to say that stuff. Maybe…maybe the other guy is the one who wants to take me out. Maybe he represents a group of them. Kiros could be trying to fool them so he can catch them in the act. It's his job to keep me safe, you know."

"Dad…."

"And just because he looks like he's serious doesn't mean anything," Laguna continued, a strained tone to his voice. "I mean, Kiros, he's got one of the best poker faces in the world. And he's not real big on sharing his feelings or showing what's in his heart with most people. Trust me, it's not hard for him to lie like that if he needs to and for it to look totally convincing. I've seen him do it before."

"See, and that's my point," Squall said. "If he's as good as you say at hiding his true thoughts and feelings, how do you know for sure that it's not you that he's been lying to this whole time?"

"Squall, I get what you're saying, but you've got it all wrong," Laguna said. "You said yourself that I know him far better than you do. Why can't you trust me when I say that I'm sure that there is something else behind this?"

"Dad, when I talked to Kiros, he made references to making difficult choices and how people might change over time," Squall said. "Granted, he didn't overtly admit to anything, but it was clear that he was referring to himself during that conversation. I understand that this hurts and that you don't want to hear it, but isn't it possible that something has changed over the years between you and Kiros? That maybe something has changed him and the way he views you? Or that maybe his position within the government of Esthar has forced him to gradually adjust his priorities?"

Laguna finally looked away from the screen, and Squall winced when he saw shine of tears in his eyes.

"I…I…," Laguna stammered. Suddenly he stopped and rubbed his eyes before continuing.

"Squall, I need you to keep investigating this," he said, his voice far less steady than it was before. "There is something we're not seeing here. I just know it."

Laguna went back to his desk and sat down. He powered on his computer and picked up a couple file folders on his desk.

"I should let you get back to work and I need look over this stuff Xenostro sent me before he gets back from lunch, anyway," Laguna said. "If you're not too busy, I'd really love it if you and Rinoa would join me and Ward for dinner later. Ward almost fell asleep listening to Xenostro talk about his last delegation conference at breakfast and I don't think he can handle another ordeal like that."

Squall thought about saying something else, but the way that Laguna was hunched over his desk, his expression drawn and tense, told him that now was not the time to press the issue.

"All right, Dad," he said. "Rinoa and I will try to make it."

Laguna nodded, but kept his gaze on his computer screen. As Squall walked out into the hallway, he wondered how his father was able to remain so certain of Kiros' loyalty in the face of all the evidence mounting against him.

It was then that Kiros' words came back to him, and he wondered if perhaps his feelings about Rinoa and the comparisons he made between the bond they shared and the one Laguna and Kiros seemed to share were clouding the issue.

'_Laguna hired me to investigate, and that is what I need to focus on,'_ he told himself. '_It was a mistake to keep inserting my perspective into this and to let my emotions get in the way. I'm simply going to have to make sure to only work with the facts I have in front of me.'_

Squall frowned and continued to walk toward his room. He wasn't sure what he would do next, but he was determined to keep working on this until he found the truth.

Even if that meant more heartache for his father in the future.

* * *

Later that night, Kiros was lying on the cot in his cell. He tried to sleep but the combination of anxiety and physical pain kept true rest just out of reach.

Last night's "visit" had ended up being brief, but unfortunately still brutal. The men attacked as a swarm and it only took a few seconds for Kiros to end up on the ground, his arms pressed onto his head in a desperate attempt to shield some part of him from their blows. He soon realized, however, that they were deliberately avoiding hitting him in the face. They didn't want to leave any evidence of the attack.

Still, that gave them plenty of ways to vent their anger, and even though the whole thing probably only lasted about twenty minutes, it had felt like an eternity to Kiros. After they were done with him, he had ended up remaining on the floor for another two hours, unable to move without crying out in agony. Eventually, Kiros was able to find enough strength push the pain back enough to get up and stumble onto his cot. He had remained that way until Squall showed up to talk to him, ignoring the guards who stopped by to offer him meals or who wanted to interrogate him again.

Kiros groaned and rolled onto his back. More than once, he thought about telling someone about what had happened to him, but then he realized that he did not know who he could trust in this place. There was a chance that he could tell the wrong person and that person could decide to do something drastic to cover up the incident…like making it so that he would never be able to talk to anyone ever again.

Kiros stared at the cracks in the ceiling and took a deep breath. As much as he would have liked to expose the people who had attacked him, he knew that it was more important to stay alive and find some way to stop Jala from going through with his plans. And the only way to do that was to silently bear whatever they did to him and hope that it would eventually end.

He had been pleased, however, to see that Squall was working on the case and that the young SeeD seemed to be determined to get at the truth rather than rely solely on whatever the security officers here told him. He just hoped that Squall would stop letting himself be distracted by whatever Mara might have told him and keep his focus on the case and finding the threat to Laguna rather than trying to understand his motivations.

He closed his eyes and let his mind drift back to his childhood. He remembered his grandmother and recalled the legends she used to tell him about the brave and heroic deeds his ancestors did in the service of their _contisos_. Then he thought about one night when he asked her about how the _cusodis_ were able to find the strength to protect their charges for so many years.

"_It is because their strength does not come from their bodies, my child," _she told him. "_Their strength comes from their hearts and their spirits. The spirit of the warrior, proud and brave, gave them the energy, the passion they needed to continue in their work. But it was their hearts, hearts filled with love and compassion, which sustained them and gave them the fortitude to live when others would have perished. You see, that is one of the gifts the contiso gives to the cusodi: that steadfast, deep caring that is borne out of the bond they share. Never forget Kiros, that the relationship between cusodi and contiso is not one of servitude, but of brotherhood. They are family just as sure as the two of us are. And as family should, they nurture and strengthen each other. For you see, true strength and bravery are rarely solitary things. They are often the sum of hearts working as one."_

Kiros held those words in his mind as he began to drift off to sleep. However, the sound of his cell door opening caused his eyes to snap open and his body to immediately tense up in anticipation of what was sure to happen next.

Kiros turned his head to see another group of masked figures approach him, and he knew that he was in for another long, excruciating night.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Next chapter. Not sure when I will update next week, but I hope my readers will enjoy my dual updates today. :)

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this. It is always appreciated.

Chapter Seven

It was early in the morning when Mara Seagill walked into the station where Kiros was being held, pointedly ignoring the silence and stares that accompanied her arrival.

By this point, it had been three days since her husband had been incarcerated, and she was terribly worried about him. She had tried more than once to visit, but was denied each time with curt reminder that it wasn't "procedure" to let prisoners accused of capital crimes have visitors. Mara was aware that that wasn't technically true, but had been unable to break through the wall of bureaucracy that thwarted her attempts to argue that point.

Seeing no other choice, Mara eventually ended up going to Laguna, who immediately intervened on her behalf. Thus, the station had been notified that she coming and the captain was ordered to let her see Kiros. Laguna had even given her a letter with his seal and signature authorizing her visit, just in case Mara ran into any more resistance.

Her long hair tied up in a tight bun and her skirt swishing about her ankles as she walked, Mara marched up to the front desk and held out her identification card.

"I'm here to see my husband," she announced to the man sitting there. The man, who had turned her away more than once, glared at her for a second before waving her along.

"Hey Cahil," he bellowed as she walked by him. "Seagill's woman is here."

Another man, the aforementioned Cahil, walked up to her and motioned at a set of chairs against the wall.

"You'll have to wait here until we can get you cleared to go in," he said.

"Officer Cahil, was it?" Mara said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You do know that my visit was approved by the president of Esthar, do you not?"

"Oh yeah, I know," Cahil sneered at her. "But that doesn't mean you get to just prance around here without following protocol. So just sit your butt down there, Your Highness, and we'll escort you when we're ready."

Mara frowned at him, but nodded quietly before setting onto one of the chairs. After Cahil walked away, she leaned back and let her head rest against the wall, closing her eyes.

While she waited her thoughts drifted toward memories of Kiros. The only child of affluent parents, Mara had spent most of her childhood and teenage years focused on scholarly pursuits. She had shown an aptitude for history early in life and had been educated at one of the best academies in Esthar. During this time, she dated occasionally, but was far more invested in her studies than in any prospects for a long-term relationship. Her close friends tried more than once to set her up with a potential boyfriend. But unlike them, Mara did not believe in romantic notions like being "swept off her feet" or "knights in shining armor" and thus she doubted that she would ever experience anything like that in her own life.

Then she met Kiros Seagill.

It had been a chance meeting. Both of them were waiting for a table in one of the most popular restaurants in Esthar, and the waiter asked them if they would be willing to share one in exchange for being seated sooner. What started as small talk sparked by amiability and curiosity over a brief lunch turned into a meal and a conversation that lasted for hours. By the end of it, Mara was shocked to discover something giddy and warm stirring in her heart. She wasn't sure what it was, but she was certain of one thing: from this point on, she wanted to spend as much time with Kiros as possible.

After that, there were many more meetings and dates, and Mara's feelings quickly intensified. Having spent years reading, studying and thinking about the Eltarians and their culture, it was as if Kiros was the living embodiment of all her musings and dreams about what she saw as a noble, wise and complex race of people. Over time, she was able to see past the fantasy and could appreciate the individual Kiros was, and that only seemed to heighten her attraction to him.

For his part, Kiros cared for her with an enchanting mix of respect and chivalry. When she finally confessed to him that he was the first man she had ever fallen in love with, Kiros responded by making her feel even more treasured than she did before. Thus, when he proposed to her a few months later, Mara had accepted without the slightest hesitation.

Mara opened her eyes and let out a sigh. The progression of their marriage had not always been a smooth. They encountered more than one hardship as Kiros' duties and responsibilities to Esthar and to Laguna encroached on everyday life. But in the end, their love for each other was able to surmount these obstacles and now she could not imagine her life without him.

"All right," Cahil called out to her from the side of the room. "You can follow me back."

Mara nodded and stood up to walk behind him. She could sense the aura of hostility that was directed toward her, but did her best to not acknowledge it. She had received similar treatment whenever she tried to leave the Palace or when her friends, other than Ward's wife, Temira, talked to her. This morning, she had gotten a message from her publisher, informing her that there would be a delay in releasing her latest book on Centran mythology due to "unfavorable market conditions" which they hoped could be resolved in a few months.

A frown borne of frustration almost appeared on her lips, but she managed to restrain it. She was certain that the delay on her book had nothing to do with the markets and far more to do with the awful reports she kept seeing in the media about her husband.

'_Nothing has been proven, and yet they're so quick to condemn him,' _she thought. '_It's like they've forgotten everything Kiros has done for Esthar. All those years of hard work and sacrifice…completely brushed aside like they were nothing. Not to mention how they're completely ignoring the obvious friendship he and Laguna have had all that time.'_

Cahil waved at a pair of guards who were standing in front of the door at the end of the corridor and they parted to the sides. He then pulled out a card and swiped it across an access pad, causing the mechanisms in the door to click.

"Ok, you can go in," he said, opening the door. "His is the only cell at the back of the hall. You've got fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes?" Mara said. "I thought that I would have an hour."

"That's only for low-level prisoners," Cahil said. "Not for prisoners being held for capital offenses. You want to complain? Feel free to walk back the way we came to the visitor's center and talk to the guys there. I should warn you though, that there is a bit of a line. Hard to say if we'd even be able to get to you today."

Mara scowled at him, but held her tongue while shaking her head. She started to walk toward the door, but Cahil blocked her path while leering at her.

"You know, you're very nice to look at," he said, his eyes wandering. "I bet you were a model or something at one point. You sure you don't want to leave and spend some time with a real man?"

Mara's hands trembled as she curled her fingers tightly, but she maintained her composure. Soon the moment passed, and her scowl was replaced with a smirk.

"I _would_ like to spend some time with a real man," she said sweetly. "So please step aside so I can go see one."

Cahil retreated to the side and glowered at her while the other two guards sniggered. With a toss of her head, Mara walked past them through the open door which immediately shut behind her. She walked down a short hallway to find a large cell with a cot facing one of the walls. On it, Kiros was lying on his side, facing away from the cell bars.

Mara walked up to the bars and put her hands on them. She wished that she could get through the bars separating them and hold him close. Her body longed for the feeling of his arms around her.

"Kiros," she called out to him. "Kiros, it's me. Are you awake?"

A moan emanated from the cot, and Kiros rolled onto his back, his eyes still closed. Mara could see the exhaustion on his face and was reluctant to wake him. But she was also aware that her time with him would be short and she needed to know how he was doing.

"Kiros," she said, louder, hoping to wake him.

What she hadn't expected was for Kiros to suddenly cry out and bolt upright on his cot, his eyes wide open and his breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

"Kiros!" she said, pressing herself against the bars and reaching toward him. "Are you all right?"

Kiros groaned and curled his body up tightly before finally looking over at her.

"Mara?"

"Yes Kiros, I'm here," she said.

Kiros rose to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did so, and walked swiftly over to her. He reached through the bars and cupped her face with his hands while bending down to kiss her. Mara closed her eyes while pushing her body against the cell door and leaning into the kiss. Once it was over, Kiros pressed his forehead against hers, still holding her face in his hands.

"Mara," he murmured. "You shouldn't have come here." Mara put her hands over his.

"Did you honestly think that I wouldn't visit?" she asked. "I thought you knew me better than that."

Kiros moved his hands away and stood up straight. "I do know you," Kiros said. "And you're right; I should have known that you would come. But you need to stay away from me. If you associate with me too much, people might start to think that you had something to do with this. At the very least, they might think that you knew something and chose not to say anything. I…I don't want anything to happen to you because of me."

"Kiros, what are you saying?" Mara asked. "You're acting as if you really did try to commit treason. And I know that's not the truth."

Mara took Kiros' hands into hers and kissed them before looking up at him.

"You said that you know me, but the same is true for me about you," she said. "I know that you are as caring and loyal as you are brave and strong. I also know that you fulfill your oaths, whether it's your vows to me or your pledge to Laguna, with utmost seriousness and devotion. And that is why I simply cannot believe that you could betray him. You're his _cusodi_, and the _cusodi_ stands by his _contiso_ until the end of this life and beyond."

Kiros pulled his hands away and lowered his head to stare at the floor. Mara could see the melancholy in his eyes and the defeated posture in his stance.

Her heart ached for him.

"Kiros please talk to me," she pleaded. "_Please_, tell me what is going on. I need to know the truth."

Kiros lifted his head, but said nothing as he fixed his eyes onto the wall next to him. Mara bit her lip and tried to wrap her arms around his waist as best she could through the bars. She was shocked, however, to see him wince in response.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," Kiros grunted. "I've just gotten too used to sleeping in a bed designed for comfort as opposed to one for the most basic of needs."

Mara frowned at him for a few seconds before suddenly grabbing at his sides, causing him to groan loudly.

"Stop lying to me," she scolded. "You are hurt. How did this happen? I should get a doctor to check on you."

"No!" Kiros insisted forcefully. "That is, it's not necessary. It's just... There was a minor altercation when they arrested me at FH and I'm still somewhat sore from that. It will probably pass soon."

"That was three days ago and you're still in pain," Mara replied. "That doesn't sound like a 'minor' altercation to me. And besides that, I can tell that you aren't getting enough rest and I suspect that you haven't been eating well either."

"Well there is no mystery there, Mara," Kiros said with a half-hearted smirk on his lips. "There's a reason why only hospital food has a worse reputation than prison food."

"Kiros," Mara said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're not fooling me one bit, so stop acting like there's nothing wrong. You know perfectly well that I can be just as creative as Laguna and Ward when it comes to getting my revenge, so you better quit this now while you're still ahead and tell me the truth."

Kiros smiled some more and held out his arms to her. Mara frowned again for a moment more before smiling back and moving closer so he could embrace her.

"Mara, I realize that I'm shutting you out, and I am sorry for that," he said. "And even though I have no right to ask this of you, I need you to trust me and try to understand that I can't tell you anything more than what I already have. Please believe me when I say that what I'm doing is necessary. Can you do this?"

"I hate it," she murmured sadly. "But I will. Just know that I love you, Kiros. No matter what happens, that will never change."

"And I love you, Mara," he said. "You will always be in my heart."

They held each other for a long moment. Mara was about to say something else to him when Cahill suddenly walked into the room.

"Time's up," he sneered. Mara turned her head to glare at him.

"I don't believe that it's been fifteen minutes," she said.

"It has by our clock," he snorted. "What? Are you going to complain about the way we keep time around here too?"

Mara turned her face back toward Kiros and gave him another very gentle squeeze.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," she murmured. "Please, take care."

"Mara, I…."

"All right, get away from those bars," Cahil said, marching over to grab Mara by the arm. He pulled her away from Kiros, and Mara spun around and struggled to get away.

"Let go of me!" she snapped at him. Cahil merely grinned and yanked her closer to him.

"I meant what I said before," he said, licking his lips. "Tell me, why is a fine woman like you wasting your time with Eltarian garbage like him?"

"_I said let go_," Mara said, her tone venomous. She wriggled to get away, but Cahil responded by grabbing her other arm and pulling her even closer.

"Hey Seagill," he chortled. "How about I spend some time with your woman? I'm sure she's going to be real lonely after you get executed." Kiros moved as close as he could to the bars, rage etched into his features.

"Get your hands off of her, now," he growled at Cahil. "Or I will…."

"You'll what?" Cahil said. "Doesn't look like there's much you can do from where you are." Kiros fumed, his body trembling with anger as Cahil laughed.

Mara suddenly stopped struggling and looked up at Cahil with hatred in her eyes. Even more than the indignities she was enduring, she loathed the way that Cahil was mocking her husband. It was then that she decided to show him what it meant to be married to an Eltarian who was among the elite of his people in fighting skills.

Utilizing the training that Kiros had given her in self-defense, Mara twisted Cahil's arm and delivered a sharp elbow jab to his ribs. This stunned him enough to get him to let her go, and she used the opening to give him a spinning kick to his knee and then another kick to his groin. Cahil fell to the ground groaning and a pair of guards ran into the room along with the captain close behind to see what the commotion was about.

"What's going on here?" the captain said, stepping forward.

"That crazy witch attacked me," Cahill gasped from the ground.

"He attacked me first," Mara replied. "I merely defended myself."

"That's a lie," Cahil spat. "I was just trying to be friendly and…."

"Officer, I demand that this man be suspended and charged for assaulting my wife," Kiros said, anger filling his voice.

"All of you shut up," the captain barked. "Seagill, you have no say in anything right now, so I don't want to hear another word from you. Cahil, this isn't the first time I've heard about your 'friendliness' with women and I've warned you about it before. As of now, you're staying at your desk until I decide what I want to do with you."

Cahil glared at both the captain and Mara before getting up and stomping out of the room. The captain then turned his attention to Mara.

"Did you actually take him down by yourself?" he asked. Mara nodded. "Well, I can't say that I'm not impressed. Maybe he'll learn something this time. However, the fact remains that you did assault a security officer. I can't just ignore that."

"This is ridiculous," Mara said. "He…."

"Look, I know he might have had it coming, but I can't have incidents like this around here," the captain said. "Now, I'm willing to let this go and not have you called up on any charges if you leave now and don't come back until I have this straightened out."

"How dare you?" Mara said. "I have a right to be here. President Loire himself sent that order."

"That may be, but the fact is, you're being here is clearly creating a security risk that I can't afford to have right now," the captain said. "So the way I see it, you have two options: you either persist in this fight and I'll have to make this an official incident with all the accompanying charges. Or you leave and stay away until arrangements can be made and I make sure the whole thing is dropped. It's your choice."

"Mara, go," Kiros said. "I beg you to not get involved in this."

"I thought I told you to be quiet," the captain said, glaring at him.

"I'll go," Mara said. "But this will not be the end of it. I can promise you that."

Mara gave one last longing look to Kiros before tapping on the door and letting the guards escort her out of the room. As she walked away, her mind was filled with questions as to why Kiros continued to keep things from her and what the truth actually was.

In the midst of those questions, however, was the worry that Kiros was suffering far more than what was evident on the surface, and Mara was growing increasingly afraid that her husband was in even more peril than she previously thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the jail, the captain stared Kiros down for a moment before giving him a derisive snort.

"You know what?" he said. "A guy like you, who would sell out his country and turn on his friend, doesn't deserve a woman like that."

Kiros said nothing, choosing instead to turn away toward the back of his cell. The captain moved closer and put his hands on his hips.

"If you really cared about her, you'd come clean so we could wrap this up," he said. "At least then, she'd get to hear the truth and maybe could have some closure. Think about it."

The captain walked over and knocked on the door so he could be let out. As soon as he left, Kiros' shoulders sagged and he leaned against the wall.

'_If I really cared about Mara….'_

Kiros closed his eyes and let his head rest against the back wall of his cell. He did not want to admit it, but he knew that the man was right. He was hurting his wife with his actions, both directly and indirectly. Plus, she was sure to suffer even more heartbreak in the future.

There had been times in the past when he wondered if he had made a mistake in asking her to marry him, not because he didn't love her but because he wasn't confident that he was capable of loving her the way she ought to be loved. Up until now, he had always been able to repress those concerns by choosing to work harder on his marriage.

Now, however, he regretted not acting on those doubts long before when he had the chance.

* * *

A short time later, Kiros woke up abruptly in the midst of another nightmare.

After Mara had left, he decided to try to get some additional sleep, his body demanding rest. As he expected, however, his slumber was fitful and not the least bit peaceful as his mind continued to go back to the events of the last few nights.

Kiros swung his legs over the side of the cot and put his head in his hands. The people who kept visiting him in the middle of the night had eventually moved away from simple beatings and grew increasingly inventive in their methods of torturing him. The night before last, it involved a pocket knife and a lighter and then a leather strap that was put to use all over his body. Once they were done, they forced him to swallow a potion: too weak to take away the pain, but strong enough to make sure that his wounds would not become serious enough to require medical attention.

Last night, however, was far more about humiliation than physical attacks. He shivered when he thought about how they had had him on his hands and knees and were using his braids, a symbol of his rank as a warrior among his people, as leashes, yanking him about the floor like an animal. At one point, they had threatened to cut them off, and for a moment Kiros had panicked and was about to beg them not to when one of them nixed the idea, saying that people might notice that they were missing. They then moved on to other tactics, one of which made it so that the trays of food that continued to be brought to him were left untouched due to the nausea he now felt when he looked at them.

Desperate to distract himself from those memories, Kiros thought about Laguna and Ward and wondered how they were doing. Neither of them had been by to see him yet, but Kiros understood that the nature of his charges made it so that it was difficult for anyone to visit him. Plus, he imagined that the two of them not only had to take care of their own workloads along with tending to his and to this investigation. He hated to think about how they must feel about him by now and he shifted his thoughts to Squall and his possible progress in his inquiries.

'_Has Squall figured out who Jala's accomplice is in the Palace?' _he asked himself. '_Or has he even figured out about Jala and his role in all this yet?'_

Kiros swallowed hard and fought against the bile rising in his throat. He was determined to not let Jala or the people at this station break him, but he also wondered how much longer he had before someone decided that keeping him alive was more trouble than it was worth.

'_Maybe I should talk to Squall and tell him about the person in the Palace,' _Kiros mused. '_If I time it right, Jala won't have a chance to retaliate before his man is captured and that eliminates the threat to Laguna. Then I'll be able to speak freely and we can focus on taking Jala out.'_

Kiros started to formulate a plan of action when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. His entire body tensed up in anticipation of another assault, and only relaxed marginally when he saw Jala walk toward his cell.

"Ah Seagill, you look a bit peaked these days," Jala said with a smirk. "What's the matter? The food not agreeing with you? Or is it the accommodations? Perhaps your 'nocturnal playmates' are making it hard for you to sleep at night, hmmm?"

"So, you're the one behind that?" Kiros growled at him. Jala laughed and shook his head.

"Yes and no," he said. "It's not my staff who are visiting you nor did I request or bribe them to act on my behalf. However, I've always been fascinated with how easy it is to manipulate people. The right person saying just the right words can have quite a marvelous effect…especially when it involves dealing with someone they mistrust or dislike for any multitude of reasons."

Jala moved to stand about a foot away from the cell and Kiros got up from his cot to meet him there, his gaze intense with smoldering anger.

"I will say though, that I am impressed with how well you been able to bear up," Jala continued. "Very fitting of a warrior of your lineage."

"I'm so glad that I haven't disappointed you," Kiros said sarcastically.

"It's a welcome change," Jala said, suddenly frowning. "Given how many times you've disappointed me and our people. Do you have any idea how much your tribe and mine were pinning our hopes on you? The legendary Seagill line, bequeathed with a son whose birth was marked by the appearance of the Stardust Trail in the night's sky: the sign of a warrior who is meant to become a legend."

"I have heard the stories," Kiros said. "I know that the Trail is a significant event for our people."

"Then you know that your family and many others were counting on you to lead us out of obscurity and back into the heroic culture we were before the previous Lunar Cry," Jala said, seething with anger. "You had the best warriors instructing you on the art of combat and war and would have had the support of multiple Elders. But instead you threw it away by refusing to embrace your destiny and by becoming increasingly soft-hearted. Even worse, you abandoned us and made yourself into the servant of a fool."

"First of all, the Trail has more than one meaning and was never meant to be a harbinger of an era of violence and blood," Kiros countered. "If you had really listened to the Elders, you would know that. And second, you disgrace yourself and all Eltarians by slandering the _cusodi_ tradition. Theirs was the path to gain favor with Odin and bring honor to our people."

"Honor?" Jala snorted. "Shame and defeat maybe, but honor? Hardly. Our best warriors, sent to pamper and shield soft, lazy Centrans. What honor did that bring us? And then for them to throw their lives away by putting themselves between Centra and the swarms of monsters from the Cry...disgusting. So many Eltarian tribes were wiped out and most of them would have been spared if those warriors had focused on defending them rather than their worthless _contisos_. Honor? The only thing that archaic and misguided tradition brought us was death and countless lost opportunities to build up our own people."

Jala took another step toward him, but Kiros noted how Jala made sure to stay just out of his reach.

"And then, for you to bring this tradition back to life was an even bigger insult," Jala added. "Worst of all, ever since Esthar has come out of hiding and word of your achievements have reached Centra, there are actually members of some tribes who think that you were right to fall back on this tradition and there is a movement to go back to that way of life. These idealist fools don't see how it could mean the end of what little we have left of a society."

"Jala, don't you understand?" Kiros said to him. "The Eltarians' fate was tied to that of the Centrans. It was simply meant to be as our people were born and bred to be guardians as well as warriors. Thus, when Centra fell, it was the beginning of the end of our civilization as it existed then. Centra is gone, but new life and new civilizations have been born out of its ruins. And our people must accept that our time may have passed as well."

"You would stand by and do nothing while letting our culture and people die out and yet you have the audacity to wonder why I need the world to brand you as a traitor?" Jala sneered. "I should have killed you when I ran into you all those years ago while you were searching for Loire. Then maybe our people would have had a chance to regain their sanity."

"Whatever you're planning, it's hopeless, Jala," Kiros said. "Even if I die, you won't win. You will be found out and our people will learn the truth about your evil and selfishness. It would be better for you to give yourself up now while you can still salvage some of your honor."

Jala glowered at him for a long moment before suddenly erupting into a fit of laughter.

"My my, Seagill, you really do not understand the reality of the situation you are in, do you?" he chuckled. "Did you actually think that my only goal was to kill you? Far from it. I'm also here to make sure that the _cusodi_ tradition does not have a chance to infect our people again."

Jala reached into his cloak and pulled out a dagger with elaborate serrations and a curved blade with a hook on the end.

"Recognize this?" Jala asked him. "It's all right if you don't. These weapons are extremely hard to procure given how they were banned from Eltarian use at the end of the last Great War among the tribes. A pity really, given how the ones who first forged these were really quite ingenious. With this, you can stab a man and eviscerate him as you extract the blade. Or you could pluck out his heart and show it to him before his life fades away completely. Either way, it is an extremely painful way to die."

Jala waved it in front of Kiros a couple times before continuing.

"I wonder how it would feel to kill Loire with this blade," Jala said, carefully fingering the sides of the dagger. "It might be fun to see the look on his face as I pull out his vital organs and spill his blood onto the ground."

"As if you could even get close enough to him to do that," Kiros scoffed. "I doubt that even your cohort in the Palace could arrange it."

"Oh didn't you know?" Jala said mockingly. "You're looking at one of the heads of the Dollet Dukedom security forces and the bodyguard of the Finance Minister…who by the way, just happens to be visiting the Presidential Palace of Esthar this week."

Kiros' eyes widened as the implications of Jala's words sunk in, and Jala laughed even more as he put the dagger away.

"I actually had breakfast with Loire this morning," Jala said. "Do you know that he is still trying to prove your innocence? And that's even with all the evidence piling up against you. The man is persistent, I will give him that. But honestly, Seagill, I don't know how you have been able to stand him for so many years. He is like a child when it comes to table manners…and far too many other things for that matter. If I didn't know you better, I'd almost think that this whole _cusodi_ pledge is just a ruse so you can rule Esthar from behind the scenes. Tell me, why in Hyne's name did you choose him to be your _contiso_?"

"I doubt that a ruthless snake like you could ever understand," Kiros said. "But if you really want to know, it's because he is a better man than you or I could ever be. This world needs him."

"So you say," Jala said, shrugging his shoulders. "And yet this world may have to learn to go on without him if you do not do what I tell you to do. So my next order to you is this: I want you to sever your ties with Loire."

"You know that I can't," Kiros said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Once the pledge is made, a _cusodi_ cannot break it."

"Ah, but the _contiso_ can," Jala said, holding up a finger. "You see, I did pay attention to the Elders' history lessons too. I know for a fact that a _contiso_ can choose to banish the _cusodi _and denounce him and his vow. Granted, it has only happened a couple times in our people's history, but the important thing is that it _can_ be done. That is what I want you to arrange with Loire. I want you to destroy this absurd devotion that he has toward you."

"And just how am I supposed to do that while I am imprisoned?" Kiros scowled at him. "It's not as if I can do anything from here. Besides, Laguna has his own mind and heart. I can't force him to think or do anything."

"Perhaps," Jala said, shrugging again. "But I have it on good authority that the president is planning to visit you soon, so you will have your opportunity before too long. You are a very smart man, Seagill. I am sure that you can come up with something. Just keep in mind that, if you don't do as I command, I'll finally have a reason to experiment with that lovely little artifact I showed you earlier."

Jala turned and walked toward the door. He lifted his hand to rap against the glass with his knuckles, but paused to glance back at Kiros.

"Remember what I said," he told him. "Break your ties with Loire or I will do it for you…and I'm pretty sure you will not like the way I will go about it."

Jala laughed again before signaling the guards and walking out the door. After he was gone Kiros went back to the cot and sank down onto it. Now that he knew that Jala had access to the Palace, everything had changed.

'_There's no way I can tell Squall about Jala now,' _he thought. '_I will just have to hope that he will figure it out on his own. No, no I know that he will uncover the truth eventually. I am sure of it. But…until then….'_

Kiros bowed his head. He was now confronted with one of the worst decisions he could ever face: obliterate the familial bond that had sustained him for so long or sacrifice his best friend's life. It was an agonizing choice, but by this point, Kiros had little motivation to think about himself anymore.

He was certain that, either way, his heart would soon shatter. It was simply a matter of causing as little collateral damage as possible when it happened.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Next chapter. I don't know for sure when I'll update this or _Revisions_ again due to increasing college demands. But I'm hoping to wrap up most of the work for the semester in the next week or two. So, we'll see how that goes.

I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of its characters.

Thank you to everyone who is reading/following/favoriting/reviewing this...or who is thinking about it. It is always appreciated. :)

Chapter Eight

Over at FH, Squall stood on one of the platforms overlooking the mayor's house and leaned against the railing. He had arrived yesterday to go over the evidence Zell had gathered and then had talked to Dobe again, but wasn't able to find anything of use. At first, Squall was tempted to head back to the Palace and pore over the official reports again, but had changed his mind at the last minute.

'_The security force in charge of this investigation has made their position very clear…and maybe that's part of the problem right there. Maybe I'm relying too much on what they've been doing and not enough on our own evidence.'_

Instead of returning to Esthar, Squall let Laguna and Rinoa know he would be staying a few days longer. He needed to talk more with the locals and continue to process information with Zell. Yesterday's round of interviews had not yielded any results, but Squall was aware that there were a couple people, like Delisa's father, who he had not been able to interview and who probably should be talked to again.

That morning, however, Squall had been unsuccessful in convincing Delisa's father to talk to him, and after more interviews with only scant leads, he was wondering if he had made a mistake in staying here.

"Looks like you've got another big problem on your hands."

Squall turned to see an older man moving toward him, fishing poles in hand. The young Commander recognized him right away as the Master Fisherman.

"Seems to me like you often have the world dumped onto your shoulders, boy," the Master Fisherman continued. "Last time it was saving everyone from an evil sorceress, and now you're investigating Delisa's murder."

"I don't suppose you have any information about the crime," Squall said.

"Sadly no," the older man said. "Wish I did. Delisa was a headstrong and foolish girl, but she was a good person overall. It's too bad about what happened."

Squall nodded and went back to staring at the horizon. The Master Fisherman moved closer to him and tapped Squall on the shoulder.

"I know you are busy trying to figure this out and all," he said. "But what you need is a chance to look at things from a different perspective. So how about you come with me and I show you a little bit about fishing?"

At first, Squall was all set to turn him down, but then he remembered how he had gained some useful insight into the history of FH and Esthar when he talked to him before. It seemed counterintuitive, but Squall's instincts told him that a "different perspective" was exactly what he needed right now.

Squall nodded and followed the man to a giant platform suspended from one of the main support cranes. The two of them sat down on the edge, and the Master Fisherman showed Squall the best way to bait a hook and cast his line. After several minutes of instruction, they both had lines in the water and began their quiet wait for a bite.

"I understand that Esthar arrested Seagill for murder," the Master Fisherman said. "And treason."

Squall frowned. He wasn't supposed to talk about the investigation, but he suspected that Dobe was telling the Master Fisherman about the latest findings simply because of the man's position within FH.

"He confessed to the crime," Squall responded. "And the evidence certainly supports his claim."

"Still, seems odd," the Master Fisherman said. "I don't know if you've heard this, but Seagill lived here for a short time many years ago."

"No, I didn't know that," Squall said, surprised.

"Yes," the older man nodded. "We invited him to stay here permanently, but he declined. Apparently, he had gotten separated from Loire, and he wasn't sure if his friend was all right or not. He had spent months trying to find him and eventually, his search led him to FH."

Squall nodded. By this point, he had figured out that this must have been after the Crystal Pillar incident, before he had finally found Laguna safe in Winhill.

"I remember him as an intelligent, hard-working and considerate young man," the Master Fisherman continued. "He seemed to enjoy it here, and, despite what Flo might tell you, we enjoyed having him around. Still, he refused to stay. Even though he admitted that it was probably a hopeless quest, Seagill was determined to search for Loire until he found him, no matter how long it took."

The Master Fisherman leaned back and adjusted his hold on his pole.

"I know that a lot of people were disappointed when he left, but I wasn't all that surprised," he added. "Back when I was a boy living in Esthar, I knew an old man from Centra who had been part of a group of survivors from the Lunar Cry. Like many of his fellows, he had migrated to where Esthar is now and had helped to establish it. Eventually, he had retired from public life and had settled into a house next to my parents' place. He was quiet and reserved, but also remarkable and warm-hearted. I spent many hours visiting him at his house."

The older man paused and studied his line for a moment before speaking again.

"Now, I should tell you that this man did not live alone," he said. "Another man lived with him, the likes of which I had never seen in Esthar: dark skin, long braided hair and clothing unlike what anyone else around there wore."

"An Eltarian?" Squall inquired.

"You got it boy," the Master Fisherman said. "Unfortunately, that Eltarian was an invalid, having lost the use of his legs along with having endured a series of illnesses that had severely weakened him. I asked the man about him one day, and he explained to me that this Eltarian had been his friend and bodyguard for many, many years and had accompanied him when he moved to where Esthar currently stands. Then he told me that the reason why he could no longer walk was because the Eltarian had saved him from being run over by a malfunctioning transport, but had not been able to get out of the way in time to prevent getting hit himself. Apparently, the old man had been taking care of his Eltarian friend ever since, tending to his every need and never straying far from his side. Still, the man never complained or seemed put out by having to do so much for him. In fact, he always seemed content in his friend's presence and was eager to do whatever he could. He told me that it was the least he could do given how his friend had cared for and protected him for so many years before that."

"So, the Eltarian was this man's _cusodi_?" Squall asked.

"Ah, so you know about things like that, do you boy?" the Master Fisherman said with a smile. "I see that you have truly started to learn since I last saw you. Yes, he was a _cusodi_ and had chosen my neighbor as his _contiso_ back when that old man was a teenager. Unfortunately, about a year after I met them, the Eltarian passed away from another sudden illness. I'll never forget the day after he died and the old man came home from the funeral. I had never seen him show any strong emotions, but that afternoon, I saw him sitting in his garden, sobbing and begging Hyne to give him back his _carcusodi_."

"_Carcusodi_?" Squall said, questioning. "Is that another title?"

"It is," the Master Fisherman nodded. "The old man taught me a few words from the Eltarian's native language. He said that '_carcusodi' _meant 'beloved guardian who holds my life in his hand'. And from what I've learned since, it's a deeply affectionate way for a _contiso_ to refer to a _cusodi_ and shows just how all-encompassing the bond is between them. Sadly, I saw evidence of this first-hand because that old man I told you about was never the same after his Eltarian friend died. Over time, I found out that that is not unusual at all. I have spoken to Elders from Eltarian tribes who told me that agony is common for both _cusodi_ and _contiso _when they are separated. But it's also particularly severe for the _cusodi_ which explains why many Eltarians took their own lives shortly after the Lunar Cry destroyed the Centra."

The older man shifted his position so he could look Squall in the eye.

"Now, you may be wondering why I'm telling you all this," he said. "Well I wanted you to understand why I question Seagill's guilt. Back then, he didn't say anything about being Loire's _cusodi_ to any of us, but the look in Seagill's eyes when he explained that he had to keep searching told volumes about the depth of his devotion. Plus, it was identical to the look in that old Eltarian's eyes whenever he talked about his _contiso_ during the few conversations I had with him. I'm convinced that Seagill had already made that vow to Loire long before this search, even if it wasn't formal at that point."

The Master Fisherman stopped and peered down into the water for a minute before looking back up at Squall.

"I know that this is more opinion than anything else," he continued. "But it's been my experience that Eltarians who become _cusodis_ usually have compassionate natures. If you think about it, that makes sense because why else would a man choose to make his entire life about guarding and caring for another? They are usually not openly demonstrative of their feelings, but they are always there just below the surface. Thus, I find it hard to believe that Seagill actually killed Delisa…unless he had no other choice."

"But if that's the case, why would Delisa force his hand that way?" Squall asked.

The Master Fisherman sighed and swirled his line in the water for a moment before standing up and reeling it in.

"Nope, we're not going to get any fish here today boy, so we might as well leave," he said. "Speaking of which, I hear that you've been trying to talk to Delisa's father."

"I have," Squall said, also rising to his feet. "However, he hasn't been willing to speak to me or any of my team."

"Not too surprising," the older man said. "Despite her faults, he loved Delisa very much, and I am sure that this is weighing on him heavily. Tell you what; let me go with you this time and we will talk to him together. Will that work for you boy?"

"Sure," Squall replied. "If you think he'll be willing to talk."

"I think he will," the Master Fisherman said. "I suspect that he needs a chance to talk. It's just a matter of giving him the right opportunity."

Squall nodded and reeled in his fishing line before handing the pole back to the Master Fisherman. Then the two of them started to walk back to the hotel.

"You know, I think that part of the reason why Delisa's father hasn't been eager to talk has nothing to do with his loss of his daughter," the Master Fisherman said as they walked. "It has to do with his beliefs about her being challenged."

"Challenged?" Squall echoed.

"Sure," the older man said. "I think all of us have relationships that mean so much to us that any negative event could have the potential to test our beliefs and faith in both them and in ourselves. Take yourself, for example. As young as you are, I'm sure you've had moments that made you question yourself or your relationship with a person who is close to you. That's just one of life's many vicissitudes."

They walked along for a short distance with Squall contemplating what he had said before the Master Fisherman spoke again.

"But here's the key to it all boy," he said. "It's not unusual or wrong to have these unhappy moments where you have doubts and uncertainties. Like I just said, that's inevitable. No, what defines both you and the relationships you have with others is how you choose to respond to those darker moments. Do you stand firm in your faith in that other person? Or is that faith, or maybe even that relationship, broken beyond repair? That's all that really matters boy."

Squall nodded again and the Master Fisherman fell silent for the rest of their walk to the hotel. He wasn't sure if anything the man had said would help him directly with his investigation.

But Squall was certain that he had given him plenty to think about.

* * *

Kiros lie on his back, staring at the ceiling of his cell, his brow furrowed in worry and concentration.

It had been a day since Jala had visited him, and his anxiety over Jala's threats had not abated in the least. They had even managed to eclipse his increasingly standard routine of apprehensive waiting for nightfall.

Because his captors always "visited" him in the darkness.

Kiros sighed, the movement causing him to moan and clutch his side. Last night had been more straightforward with only beatings on the program, but he had noticed that the blows had increased in ferocity. As another potion was forced down his throat, he figured that this was probably retribution for Mara's actions earlier that day. He tried to remind himself that she had done nothing wrong and was acting out of love and concern for him. But a part of him still hoped that she would stay away from now on so that maybe his torment might be lessened by even a tiny degree.

Kiros clenched one hand into a fist and pounded it on the mattress as he rolled onto his stomach, ignoring the resulting pain. As he buried his face into his ratty pillow, he thought about how he had just wished that his wife would forget about him. He immediately loathed himself for thinking that way.

'_Maybe my parents were right. Maybe I should have focused solely on my training and on duty and not thought so much about my heart.'_

Kiros turned his face to the side and relaxed his hands. Growing up, his parents had tried to instill in him a cold, pragmatic approach to life so he could put all of his energy into becoming a leader for their tribe. They were determined to prevent him from being distracted by emotions or desires. However, the only thing their teachings managed to accomplish was to confuse him and make him question his purpose in life. Eventually, they gave up and cast him out of their home with nothing more than an order that he not embarrass them by dying dishonorably. After that, he lived with his grandmother and quietly continued in his training. It wasn't long, however, before he finally earned respect within his tribe for his sharp intellect and his vast skill in combat despite their continued disdain over his "weak" nature. Still, there was always something missing, and Kiros ended up leaving his tribe and homeland to find out what exactly that was.

Kiros spread his fingers out along the pillowcase and stared at his hand. At first, he had doubted that he would ever find anything to fill the hole inside and had resigned himself to a solitary life spend wandering and fighting. Meeting Laguna and Ward had made him question that outlook and over time he found solace in his friendship with them. It took several years, but eventually he began to believe in his own heart and was willing to risk letting others in. In the end, he was grateful to have met Laguna, Ward and Mara and to have them in his world.

But Kiros soon realized that he was destroying his relationship with Mara and possibly his friendship with Ward and now he was faced with the decision to do the same with his bond to Laguna.

'_If I do what Jala wants…there won't be any turning back' _he thought. '_The only way this will work is if I make sure that Laguna will not want anything else to do with me…no small feat given how he is.'_

Kiros squeezed his eyes shut and shivered. He tried to focus on the decision in front of him, but instead his mind kept going back to one particular night while he was living with Laguna in Winhill.

* * *

_It had been a month since Kiros had reunited with Laguna, and the two of them were living a productive and pleasant life clearing the monsters out of Winhill and staying with Raine and Ellone. _

_During the previous week, Kiros thought a lot about the year he had spent searching for Laguna and how it had forced him to closely examine the way he had been living his life and his priorities. When he was in the army, he had settled into a routine and it was easy to think that it would simply continue on indefinitely. The incident at Centra had jarred him out of that line of thinking, and Kiros realized how foolish he had been to think that things would just remain as they were with no intervention on his part. Thus, he was determined to make changes that would ensure that he was doing what he needed to do to hold onto what was most important to him._

_After a great deal of thought, he came to the conclusion that his friendship with Laguna and the chance to fight alongside him made him happy as well as giving his life meaning and purpose. More importantly, this year had shown him that he never wanted to go back to the existence he had before he met his commander and friend. Once he reached that epiphany, Kiros finally knew what he needed to do._

_One evening, he asked Laguna to go on a walk with him, and the two of them wandered the streets of Winhill for almost an hour before sitting down on a pair of rocks on the very edge of town. There he told Laguna about the cusodi/contiso tradition of the Eltarians and asked Laguna if he would be willing to become his contiso._

"_Me?" Laguna asked, pointing at his chin. "Kiros, are you sure? I mean, from what you just told me, this is a really big deal among your people. I just don't know if you should do this."_

_Kiros cast his eyes downward, distressed at Laguna's reply. He suddenly remembered how Laguna had asked him why he had bothered to spend a year searching for him, and Kiros wondered if he had been far more invested in their friendship than Laguna ever had been._

"_It's all right if you don't want to do this," he said quietly. "I…I'm sorry for assuming that…."_

"_Oh no, no, no," Laguna said, jumping up and waving his hands at him. "It's not that I don't want to. Believe me, I'm really flattered that you asked me, but I…. Well you said that this would be for life, right? I just don't want you to be, you know, disappointed."_

_Kiros looked up and saw that now Laguna was the one who was staring at the dirt._

"_I'm just thinking that at some point, you might get tired of putting up with me and all the mistakes I make," he continued. "I don't want you to wake up one day and wish that you hadn't thrown away your life for this."_

_Kiros sighed and shook his head. It saddened him to think that Laguna considered himself a burden and he hoped that he could convince him that that was far from the truth. _

"_Laguna," Kiros said. "This past year has given me plenty of time to figure out if I could ever regret making this decision. Believe me when I say that I know that I won't. More than anything else I've ever done, I truly want to do this."_

_Kiros saw him lift his head to look at him, and then gave Laguna a smirk._

"_Besides, you should know by now that nothing you do will ever drive me away," he added. "Especially after that incident in Deling where me and Ward were forced to wear dresses and stand in the rain for over an hour thanks to another one of your escapades."_

"_Hey, I said I was sorry for that, all right?" Laguna huffed. "Geez, how was I supposed to know that that itty bitty cocktail was so strong? It's not like you guys never get drunk, you know. Or do I need to remind you about the time Ward got stuck in that kid's tree house?"_

_Kiros laughed as he watched Laguna pout and cross his arms over his chest before continuing._

"_What I am trying to say is that I now know that my place is beside you," he said. "And what I'm asking for is an opportunity to cement my commitment to you…and to myself."_

_Kiros watched Laguna study silently him for a moment, his expression far more serious than normal. He started to think that Laguna would turn him down again and was shocked when instead he walked over and put a hand on his shoulder._

"_All right," Laguna said somberly. "What do I need to do?"_

_Kiros smiled at him and pulled his katal out of their sheaths. Once they were out, he crossed them over his forearms and stared at them. As usual among the Eltarians, his katal had been forged specifically for him, and along with learning how to fight with them, he had learned how to take care of them so he could use them for the rest of his life. They were his most valuable and prized possessions._

_And now he was about to give them away._

_Kiros knelt down and held up his katal toward Laguna while bowing his head slightly._

"_First, I will give you my blades," he said. "From this moment onward, they are yours and I am merely the sheath that holds them and the hand that wields them for you."_

_Laguna slowly reached over and gingerly took the katal from Kiros' hands. Kiros looked up and was pleased to see the thoughtful way that Laguna regarded them. Then he slipped his body armor and tunic down to his waist, leaving his chest exposed._

"_Now, I need you to draw blood right here," Kiros said, pointing at the area around his heart. _

"_Wait a minute," Laguna said, horrified and suddenly pale. "You want me to cut you with one of these?"_

"_Yes," Kiros said, nodding. "It's part of the ritual."_

"_Does it have to be right there?" Laguna gulped. "I mean, that's awfully close to a bunch of vital stuff. Maybe I could just nick your arm or something."_

"_No, it has to be here," Kiros insisted, tapping his chest with his index finger. _

"_O-ok," Laguna said. "If you s-say so." He carefully sat one of the katal down onto a rock and gripped the other one with both hands. Kiros braced himself and closed his eyes as he waited. A long moment passed and Kiros reopened his eyes to find Laguna standing in front of him, his hands trembling as he pointed the blade at him._

"_Laguna?"_

"_Kiros…I…I can't do this. I can't. What if I screw up and really hurt you?"_

"_Laguna, it's all right…."_

"_No Kiros, I can't," Laguna said, lowering the katal. "I could kill you with this thing. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have…."_

_Kiros reached up and grabbed Laguna's wrists causing Laguna to look him in the eye._

"_Laguna, listen to me," he said. "I meant it when I said that I'd understand if you didn't want to go through with this. But I'm asking you to not back out just because you're afraid of hurting me."_

"_Kiros…."_

"_Laguna, please trust me," Kiros said. "Trust me as I trust you."_

_Laguna gulped again and nodded, his hands finally becoming still. Kiros continued to hold onto his wrists as Laguna pointed the katal at his chest again. They both paused and took a deep breath, neither of them looking away. Then Laguna inched the blade forward and Kiros guided his hands so he could make a small, jagged cut over his heart. Once it was done, Kiros nudged the blade away from him and moved Laguna's fingers so the weapon would lie across his open palms._

"_You now have my blades and my life's blood in your hands," he said. "I'm asking you to accept them and my vow to stay by your side for the rest of this life and beyond. Will you accept?"_

"_Kiros, I…." Laguna murmured, awestruck. He swallowed hard, his expression becoming serious again. "I accept."_

_Kiros nodded and got back up onto his feet. Then he smiled and patted Laguna's arm. _

"_As of now, I am your cusodi," he said. "No matter what happens, I will never leave you, my contiso."_

"_Thanks Kiros," Laguna said, grinning back at him. "What you just did… I'll never forget it. And I am deeply honored that you chose me for something like this."_

_They both grinned for a moment more before Laguna started to fidget and shuffle in place._

"_Um, hey Kiros," he said. "What should I do with these katal? I mean, I know you gave them to me and all, but I have no idea how to use them. And besides, what are you going to do for a weapon now?"_

"_I only gave them to you in a symbolic sense," Kiros said, rolling his eyes and snatching the katal Laguna was holding away from him. "There is no way that I'm letting you hold onto them. I don't even want to think about the unintentional damage you would probably do if I did."_

"_Yeah, Raine would never let me keep them anyway," Laguna said, scratching the side of his head. "Honestly, I'm amazed that she lets me keep the machine gun indoors."_

_Kiros chuckled and picked up the other katal to put it in its sheath before pulling up his tunic while making sure to keep the fabric away from his wound._

"_Ah geez, Kiros, you're really bleeding," Laguna said. "Doesn't that hurt?"_

"_A little," Kiros said, shrugging. "It's nothing I can't handle."_

"_We better use something on that or it'll leave a nasty scar," Laguna said. _

"_No, that's fine," Kiros said, covering the wound with his hand. "Every Eltarian who makes this pledge has a scar signifying the event. It's tradition."_

"_Yeah, but how am I going to explain things to Raine if she sees you bleeding all over the place and finds out that I'm the one who did that to you?" Laguna said. "She's already mad at me over the skillet incident this morning."_

"_I told you to stick with your griddle cakes," Kiros said, holding up his hands. "You're the one who decided to get ambitious with your 'breakfast in bed' surprise."_

"_Yeah, but you could have told me that the flames were starting to spread a lot sooner than you did," Laguna sulked. "I think you just wanted to see me squirm."_

"_Well that is fun," Kiros smirked at him. "But trust me, I don't want to make things any more difficult than they already are for Raine. And besides, you're forgetting about all the advice I've given you in the past when you tried to cook things that were beyond your culinary abilities."_

"_Hey, you don't know until you try," Laguna said. "And those who never try will never know." _

_Kiros frowned for a moment before lightly smacking Laguna upside the head._

"_I know I warned you about that," he said. "After what happened in Centra, you're not allowed to justify anything you do with that idiotic statement."_

"_Ow, thanks a lot," Laguna whined as he rubbed his head. "See if I ever make any meals for you ever again."_

"_Is that a promise?" Kiros said, grinning. "Because if it is, I'm going to hold you to it."_

"_Whatever man," Laguna said, rolling his eyes. "Come on. We need to get back and put a bandage on that before you bleed out or something."_

_Kiros laughed again, and Laguna stuck out his tongue at him before joining in. The two of them continued to remain in a jovial mood for the rest of the night._

* * *

Kiros opened his eyes and rubbed away the wetness that had formed in them. Memories like this had become poignant and were certain to haunt him for the rest of his life no matter what he decided to do. He thought again about the pledge he had made that day and asked himself yet again which was more important: the promise or the person he made it to.

It was then that Kiros was finally able to make a decision…the only decision he could make.

* * *

The moment Laguna walked into the station, he felt himself tense up as everyone there jumped to their feet and saluted him.

"President Loire," the captain said, swiftly walking toward him. "Sir, I…No one told me you were coming. If I had known…."

"It's ok," Laguna said. "I know this is kind of short notice, but this was the only time I could get away from the Palace."

"Of course, of course," the captain said. "Shall we go to my office so I can fill you in on our progress thus far?"

"Actually, I'm here to see Minister Seagill," Laguna said. "Please take me to him."

"With all due respect, President Loire, I don't think that would be a good idea," the captain said. "After all, this is the man who was plotting to overthrow Esthar's government and assassinate you. He's…well he's dangerous, sir."

"Captain, that hasn't been proven yet and you know it," Laguna said, narrowing his eyes at him. "And I don't really care about your opinions. I want to see Minister Seagill. Now."

"Yes sir," the captain said meekly. He waved at a pair of guards and ordered them to escort Laguna to Kiros' cell.

As he walked, Laguna's mind was quickly filled with dozens of questions. He hadn't been able to talk to Kiros ever since he had been arrested at FH, and from what Mara told him, Laguna had reason to be concerned for his friend's wellbeing.

That aside, Laguna was also aware that a part of him wanted to talk to Kiros as a way to reassure himself. He thought about the things Squall had told him and the video he had seen along with all the news reports that continued to clog the airwaves with all sorts of terrible rumors about Kiros. He tried to convince himself that he didn't believe any of it, and for the most part, he was successful. But the constant bombardment had managed to plant a seed of doubt inside him, and Laguna was desperate to get rid of it before it could have a chance to grow.

They walked up to a door at the end of the hallway, and the guards parted as they opened it up. Laguna walked in and strode over to Kiros' cell to find him standing near the window, his back toward him. Laguna glanced back to see that the guards had followed him in, and he turned to face them.

"You guys can leave," he said.

"President Loire, we can't leave you unguarded," one of the men said. "What if he tries something?"

"He's unarmed and locked in a cell," Laguna said. "What exactly is he going to do? Look, I've known this guy for years. Believe me, there's nothing to worry about."

"But sir…."

"I said leave," Laguna snapped. "I can handle this on my own. Or would you like to start looking for new jobs?"

The guards shook their heads and filed out the door, shutting it behind him. Laguna let out a long sigh and walked over to the cell door, resting his hands on the bars.

"Hey Kiros, it's me," Laguna said. "Sorry I didn't visit before now, but well…you know how crazy things get around there and now I've got to deal with this guy from Dollet. Man, he's about as exciting as watching paint slide."

"That's _dry," _Kiros said. "What do you want, Laguna?"

Laguna flinched at Kiros' harsh tone. Granted, they had had arguments in the past and would occasionally get angry with each other, but Laguna had never heard Kiros address him in such a cold, patronizing manner.

"I um, I just wanted to see how you were doing," Laguna said. "Mara was worried about you. So was Ward. Heck, so am I for that matter. I mean, what's going on, Kiros? People are saying all kinds of stuff about you, and after what happened at FH…well I don't know what to think anymore, other than that there's no way you were going to betray me."

Laguna moved even closer and rested his forehead against the cool metal of the bars enclosing the cell.

"Kiros, I know there's something going on," he said. "And for some reason you feel as if you can't tell anyone about it. But I want you to know that you can tell me. You can tell me anything. I'll be sure to listen."

"You'll listen?" Kiros scoffed. "And I'm supposed to believe that you'll actually do that?"

Kiros turned around, and Laguna blinked hard at the cruel, derisive look in his eyes.

"When have you ever listened to anything I say?" Kiros continued. "The fact that you _don't_ listen is precisely why I've had to make a career out of cleaning up your messes and covering for your mistakes."

"Kiros, I…." Laguna looked away and down at the floor. "I'm sorry. I know you've had to put up with a lot from me, both here and in the army. I guess that's why you're upset with me, huh?"

Kiros did not respond and Laguna felt increasingly uncomfortable under his glare.

"Kiros, is what they're saying true?" he said, unable to stop himself from asking that question. "Did you really mean to have me removed as Esthar's president?"

"Laguna…."

"Because if that's all this is about, if it's just about you thinking that I'm not a very good president, then I can accept that," Laguna said. "I mean, I know that I depend a lot on you and Ward to help me run things around here, and I can't really blame you for getting frustrated over having to do so much. Honestly, I always thought that you probably should have been the one in charge all along."

Laguna looked up and gulped when he saw that Kiros' expression had not changed in the slightest.

"I…I guess I'm saying that I'm willing to step down if you think I'm doing a bad job," Laguna said.

"You would do that?" Kiros said, his tone impassive. "You would walk away from being the president of Esthar if I told you that you should do it?"

"I would," Laguna replied solemnly. "Esthar doesn't need me that much anymore. I don't know if it ever really did. I'm sure we can arrange an appointment or an election so that we can leave the country in good hands. But either way, none of that means as much to me as your life."

Laguna moved a step closer and gazed at Kiros' face imploringly.

"So please, please tell me what I can do to fix this. Tell me…what I did wrong." Laguna's voice was barely a whisper.

Kiros glowered at him for another moment before shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"It's not entirely your fault," Kiros said. "Part of it was mine. I'll admit that I'm still somewhat fond of you, and I let those warm feelings cloud my judgment. I should not have enabled you for all these years. Instead of forcing you to mature into your responsibilities, I let you hide behind them, myself and Ward. That is why it's so easy for you to simply walk away or forget about the need to tend to your duties. You simply have no idea what it means to stand by a commitment."

"What are you talking about?" Laguna said, hurt giving way to anger. "Are you saying that I wasn't committed to my work as president? Because you know that the main reason I stayed here in the first place was to help make things right in Esthar. If I had had my way I would have just gone back to Winhill. Instead I stayed and put in all those countless hours…."

"And yet, just now you were willing to run away from your responsibilities just to smooth over an argument with me," Kiros interrupted. "Just like how you left Raine and Squall behind in Winhill and never returned to them just because you had this grand idea of 'saving' Esthar after Adel as a way to overcome your feelings of obligation."

"That's enough," Laguna snapped. "How dare you drag Raine and Squall into this? You have no right to do that."

"I have every right," Kiros retorted, venomous. "Because I'm the one who's had to spend years bailing you out of one predicament after another because you won't stop chasing after anything and everything that distracts you. You're like a child who thinks he has to fiddle around with everything he sees and then you expect others to take care of you and everything else when things go wrong. I have lost track of the number of times I've put my body and my life on the line just because you keep treating life like some fairytale adventure."

Laguna trembled with hurt and anger and his eyes grew wet, but did not reply. Every word that Kiros said cut him to the core, and the vitriol his best friend was unleashing on him made him too shocked to speak.

"That is why I decided that Esthar needed new leadership," Kiros added. "It was nothing personal, Laguna. But the world is changing, not that you take the time to notice such things. The country needs someone who is willing to be conscientious and make the difficult decisions. It doesn't need someone whose primary skill set consists of things like playing Triple Triad or naming all the members of the Trabian Titans."

Laguna turned his face back toward the floor, unable to look at Kiros anymore. His mouth was dry and a lump formed in his throat as he tried to find the words to reply to Kiros' hateful comments.

"Why Kiros?" Laguna mumbled, a tear finally sliding down his cheek. "I thought you were my _cusodi_. If…if this is how you've felt all along why did you make that promise to me?"

"Why?" Kiros echoed. "Because when I made that vow, I thought you had changed. I thought you had grown up and learned to be a responsible adult. However, I eventually realized that I was wrong. I let nostalgia and a misguided search for purpose guide me into a disastrous decision, one that, unfortunately, I can never get out of."

"But I can release you, right?" Laguna said, ducking his head down even more. "I remember you saying that only the _contiso_ can dissolve this pledge. Is that what you want, Kiros? Do you want me to let you out of this commitment?"

There was silence, and Laguna glanced up and was surprised at the way Kiros was clearly hesitant to give an answer. That look of indecision only lasted for a moment though and Kiros regained his harsh demeanor.

"I'm not allowed to tell you what to do either way," Kiros replied. "But whatever you decide is of little importance to me."

Laguna stepped back, still stunned. He had often suspected that there were aspects of Kiros' personality that remained hidden from everyone and that he wasn't always truly aware of what his best friend was actually thinking or feeling.

But now he sure that he hadn't had a clue at all as to what went on in Kiros' mind and heart, and he wondered if he had ever really known him at all.

Laguna looked over at Kiros one last time, studying his eyes and his face, looking for any kind of sign of conflict, anxiety or regret over what had just been said. But the only things Laguna found were an icy glint in his eyes and a merciless grimace on his lips.

Laguna turned away and walked toward the door. He held up his hand to tap the glass, but paused just before he could do it.

"Kiros, no matter how things stand between us now, the fact remains that you've saved my life and helped me numerous times over the years," he said. "I…I don't want you to die. I might be able to work it so I can grant at least enough amnesty to spare you from being executed. But that's only if you give me something like the names of your co-conspirators."

"No," Kiros replied. "It was my own carelessness that led to me being captured. But unlike you, I have no intention of making them pay for my mistakes. I knew the risks when I chose to go through with this plan, and I am willing to accept the consequences."

Laguna nodded silently and rapped his knuckles against the glass. A second later, the door opened and he walked down the corridor without saying another word. Then he brushed off the captain's requests to speak to him and crept into the transport that was waiting to take him back to the Palace.

As he rode, Laguna felt his eyes burn and sting with more tears. He thought again about the things Kiros had said, and found that he agreed with the implication that he had been a blind fool and had caused his best friend all kinds of misery.

The only thing he wasn't sure of now was just how much grief he had brought about for everyone else he cared about.

* * *

Securely sequestered away in his guest room at the Palace, Jala Edan smiled at what he saw on the screen in front of him.

Ever since the surveillance probe in Kiros' cell had been installed, he had enjoyed seeing the various ways that his enemy had suffered in silence. Whether it was the nightly "visits" from the officers at the station or Kiros' own self-inflicted angst, Jala had savored every moment of his torment, feeling that it was his right given how Kiros had disrupted his life and obliterated his dreams.

Still, he was frustrated at how resilient Kiros was proving to be in the face of his abuse, and Jala began to search for a way to up the stakes. Yesterday, when he heard Laguna mention that he was going to visit Kiros, Jala was suddenly hit with a flash of inspiration. He thought back to a history lesson he had endured from one of the Elders of his tribe. He had been told of the rare occasions when a _cusodi_ was banished by his _contiso_. It came with a severe penalty: shame and humiliation, coupled with the agony of losing his bond. The Elder explained that the pain from this loss was an unfortunate side effect of the intense feelings of affection and intimacy that had formed in the _cusodi's_ heart. Back then, Jala was skeptical that a true warrior could react in such an extreme way to something as trivial as a broken friendship.

But watching the way that Kiros stumbled back to his cot and sank down to his knees, as well as the way his shoulders shuddered as he slumped down onto the mattress and pressed his face against it served as proof that the Elders were not wrong about this after all. He let out a chuckle when he thought about how Kiros was trying to hide his tears from him.

'_Even now, so proud, so deliberate and controlled in everything he does. The mark of a warrior worthy of his rank.'_

Jala laughed again and leaned back in his chair. He had figured that it would not be easy to break Kiros' pride and strong will, but he was certain that he would succeed eventually.

As of today, the cracks had begun to form, and now it was just a matter of time before everything that made Kiros who he was fell apart.

* * *

_Endnote: Trabian Titans is a reference to **Bebedora**'s fic. Thanks for letting me use it. :D_


End file.
